The Prince of Moon and Shadow
by Master Hexer
Summary: Continuation of Black Moon Blood. Hiccup and Shadow have left Berk to seek a life of their own. Now they call the Seven Black Moon Princes to their kingdom at Dead Mountain. Berk is still hunting the demon that kidnapped Hiccup, Stoick seeks revenge, but as the threat of the Black Moon dragons continues to grow, how will he manage to kill the beast that took his son? New romance!
1. Chapter 1

_**The Prince of Moon and Shadow**_

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The growing kingdom of Dead Mountain was a sight to behold! Its inner most chasm had been shaped and fitted to the will of the Black Moon who commanded it. Hundreds of platforms interwoven together on the many levels, linked by entwining tunnels through the entirety of the mountain. Rooms and special areas had been mined into the mountain by dragon claws. Hot-springs and rivers of lava flowed at the deepest parts of the mountain, heating the interior from below to battle the icy terrain.

Regular dragons flew about within the mountain, moving stone and rubble out, and fresh supplies inside. Shadow, the overlord of Dead Mountain, watched on from his perch. In human form, it was almost comical how he lounged on a high precipice like a drake. But those who served below him knew exactly what he was, and followed his orders willingly. He had asked the company of dragons to assist in building the new kingdom, and they followed his command like platoons of perfect soldiers.

They knew what he was, they knew he was a Black Moon, and they knew what they were capable of. They would rather bow to him, than bow to the tyranny of the Red Death.

Shadow had learnt about her too. The Red Death who commanded her battalions to raid and pillage villages, to steal everything they had just to feed her gluttonous belly. He was repulsed by the misuse of power. And he had vowed to put a stop to it and her tyrannical rule.

The mountain kingdom was almost complete, then he could begin the next stage of his plan to bring about a new age of prosperity for his kind.

Down below, Shadow heard Hiccup calling him. He swiftly climbed down from his comfortable perch and smiled at the boy. Hiccup had grown in strength these last three months. No longer was he a thin and lanky boy, but now, he was growing into a young man. As they had worked over the months, Hiccup's muscles had developed, and his body had grown into that of a strikingly handsome warrior. Here in the safety and security of their mountain home, he had matured and progressed though his mastery of the Black Moon blood in his veins, and letting it show on the outside.

Shadow loved to see how much of his blood affected Hiccup, loved to see the ash grey skin and thick, flowing dark hair. The forest green and silver eyes, the sharpened claws and elongated fangs. It didn't matter what form Hiccup took, he was still amazingly handsome, but this form was Shadow's favourite.

"I've heard the reports from all the teams, everything has been set up, and everything is ready. They are just adding the finer details on the individual rooms, and adding new materials to the Magma Forge. Apart from that, we are ready to receive the Black Moon hordes."

Shadow smiled warmly. "It has been far too long since my kind have had a proper home. And thanks to you, and the efforts of all the dragons seeing refuge here, that we now have a place we can raise our young and live in peace."

"So what is next in your plan?" asked Hiccup. He had been longing to see another Black Moon, and to see their plans succeed.

"The threat of the Red Death remains of great concern. With her nest flourishing near ours, she would see it as a threat if Black Moons started flocking together, passing though her territory to live here. While she lives, we cannot bring all of our kind here. She must be dealt with."

The two of them walked away from the gaping interior cavern of Dead Mountain, and into one of the larger rooms near the top of the mountain. It was their designated council room, despite not having anyone to fill the seats.

"Before we can end the tyranny of the Red Death, we will need to amass our own strength, but not so much as to gain her attention. By summoning the Seven Black Moon Princes, we will have the strength of seven legions, or the equivalent of an entire army. With the seven princes here, we can fully begin our plans to bring the Black Moons here to start our new lives. The seven princes can take the fight right to the queen and challenge her, either making her back down to our might, or fighting her in open battle and claiming her territory. Once the queen is dead or our subordinate, we will have no resistance to bring forth the dragons."

"How do we summon the Seven Black Moon Prince?" asked Hiccup. Over the months he had lived with Shadow in Dead Mountain, he had learned so much about the kind who he shared blood with, but never before had he heard about the princes.

"There are songs that all Black Moons know, songs that we can sing on frequencies only known to us. Each song means something, and with them, we can communicate through long distances. Those who know about the Black Moons, and have lived long enough to learn, know that when you hear a Black Moon sing, it means that death is upon you. Most songs are homing signals, ways to call others to our aid. With the right song, I can call the princes here, and our plans will begin."

Shadow took a seat at the head of the stone table. There, he looked like a powerful lord, or even a prince in his own right. He was majestic and royal, now wonder the common dragons in Dead Mountain bowed to him.

Shadow calmed his breathing and prepared himself. If he wanted to call the princes, he had to concentrate, and let out the signal on the right frequency. He played the words over in his head, before he sung them out loud, calling to his brethren. His voice was like silk, sweeter than honey, and as powerful as a thunderous roar.

" _Oh misty eye of the mountain below… Keep careful watch of my brother's soul… and should the sky be filled with fire and smoke… keep watching over Void-Wing's sons."_

All around him, Hiccup could feel the power and intensity of the music, the way the words caressed him, and the soundless music filled his mind. He could hear the call, and was drawn to it.

 _"If this is to end in fire, then we should all burn together. Watch the flames climb high into the night… Calling out father oh, stand by and we will, watch the flames burn auburn on, the mountain side…_

 _"And if we should die tonight, then we should all die together. Raise a glass of wine for the last time… Calling out father oh, prepare as we will, watch the flames burn auburn on, the mountain side. Desolation comes upon the sky._

 _"Now I see fire, inside the mountain. I see fire, burning the trees. And I see fire, Hollowing souls. I see fire, Blood in the breeze. And I hope that you remember me…  
Oh, should my people fall, then surely I'll do the same. Confined in mountain halls, we got too close to the flame… Calling out father oh, Hold fast and we will, watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side. Desolation comes upon the sky…"_

The tempo echoing inside his head increased, like another melody was being added to the song. It was the answering call of one of the princes. One of them could hear the call, and was answering it with their own.

 _"Now I see fire, inside the mountain. I see fire, burning the trees. And I see fire, Hollowing souls. I see fire, Blood in the breeze. And I hope that you remember me…_

As Hiccup listened to the siren sound that was Shadow's voice, he could hear the princes calling to one another. Two more had joined in the call. He could hear them, adding to the song, letting each other know that they heard.

 _"And if the night is burning, I will cover my eyes. For if the dark returns, then my brothers will die. And as the sky is falling down, it crashed into this lonely town. And with that shadow upon the ground, I hear my people screaming out._

The final three princes started singing, adding their voices. Hiccup could feel the power flowing through him as he listened to the song, the sheer power in their voices filling him with joy and ecstasy. Shadow continued to sing, while the other princes sung in the background. Shadow was leading, letting them know it was he who was calling. Calling them to Dead Mountain.

 _"Now I see fire, inside the mountain. I see fire, burning the trees. And I see fire, Hollowing souls. I see fire, Blood in the breeze. And I hope that you remember me…_

 _"I see fire. Oh you know I saw a city burning out!"_

 _"Fire!"_

 _"And I see fire. Feel the heat upon my skin, yeah!"_

 _"Fire!"_

 _"And I see fire. Uh-uh-uh-uh."_

 _"Fire!"_

 _"And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side…"_

Shadow opened his eyes, revealing that they were glowing as bright as starlight in the stone room. He was wearing one of the biggest smiles Hiccup had ever seen. "The Princes have heard my call. They are coming…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello and welcome everybody to the second fanfic of Black Moon Blood. for those of you who have not read that fanfic yet, I sugest you do before continuing with this one, everything will make more sense then. for those of you who do not know me, and have just clicked on this story cuse it interested you, I am Kyle Hexer (obviously a pen name and not a real one). you can call me Kyle or just Hex. I am the creator of the Black Moon dragon, the mysterious being with the capabilities of taking on two forms. to quickly sum up what they are, lets just say that they are more deadly and dangerous than a Night Fury, and way smarter, since they can take on Human forms. I'd recommend reading my other fanfic for more information on them.**

 **but anyway, I hope you all enjoy this story and leave reviews to keep me motivated. reviews will help make me update faster and give you more details on things that go on. feel free to ask any questions, or give feedback, just be respectful.**

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It had been almost four and a half months since Hiccup's disappearance. Four and a half months since that demon appeared, transformed into its dragon form, and took Hiccup away. Stoick hadn't forgiven, or forgotten in that time. But the possibility of ever seeing that monster or his son again, was slim to none.

Astrid had broken her silence some time ago, revealing the secrets she withheld from the village. She told them what she had seen, what she had learned, and what really happened to Hiccup in the time he was still on Berk, before the demon took him away. She had told them how Hiccup had changed, and that the demon was behind it. She told them about what happened when she tracked the boy into the forest. She told them about the horrors she had seen.

But there was one thing that she never mentioned: the bite the demon had given her when she was taken captive. It was shameful to acknowledge the mark, a mark of weakness. She had screamed when he bit her, marked her. She had hoped the mark would disappear, but it never left her skin.

One way or another, that mark would be the death of her.

Berk hadn't had a good dragon raid in some time, so everyone was on edge, expecting hungry dragons to dive upon the town to steal and kill and maim. Astrid was still fearful at the thought of the great black beast returning, even after all this time.

It shouldn't have been much of a shock to see six dragons appear on the horizon just before dark, but it was. The Vikings might have been ready to face their winged opponents, but they were not prepared for what they saw.

Six massive bodies flew over the village, their pitch black scales and silver speckled wings devoured all light nearby, seemingly sucking light into their void-like wings.

The great black beasts roared as they flew overhead, their massive horned heads searching. The warriors of Berk tried to fend off the hellish monsters, to no avail. They dodged projectiles and disabled the catapults before flying closer.

One by one, all six monsters landed on the rooftops of the largest houses. The largest of them, a lean and streamlined female, landed near silently in the town square, completely at ease despite the armed Vikings surrounding it. She could crush them all in a heartbeat if she so desired.

" _Vokun lost het osos tiid vod. Mu fen siiv kolos rok lost vod. Suvulaan, Vu, tovit fin feykro. Gaaf, stop daar jul nol nos. Lok ahrk Strun, hi los voth zu'u, mu fen tovit daar sahsun far un zeymah."_ Said the massive dragon. The others nodded and followed her orders.

Two identical dragons left and flew over the forests, looking for their brethren, while the others searched the village. One of the dragons, one with more silver scales than the others, watched on from above, growling and snapping at anyone who made a move against the invading dragons. The villagers were stuck. With the silver dragon above them, they could not attack. And they had seen the devastation that one of these monsters could cause, they did not see what four could do. Or six.

The three remaining dragons examined the town square, and the chief's house, looking for any remaining indicator that the other dragon had been here. One of the black beasts started having an interest in the villagers, sniffing at them with its powerful nose, thrusting its toothy maw in between the throngs of people, searching. Every time someone made a move it didn't like, it snapped at them, missing them purposely by a hairsbreadth.

Only when it sniffed Astrid did it stop.

It said something in that strange language, and called the leader over. Astrid was herded away from the crowd, and surrounded by the three searching dragons. One of them stood behind her so she couldn't flee, the leader stood in front of her, its silver eyes looking her over intently. And the third used the blade on the end of its tail to pull her clothing away from her shoulder, exposing the bite mark that the demon left behind on her skin.

" _Rek los gro ol Vokun aar."_

The lead female looked at her with deep interest, while her heart beat like a war drum in her chest. No one dared to move while she was in the beast's claws.

The twin dragons returned, speaking in that strange dragon language of theirs, communicating like sentient beings. The lead dragon seemed to think for a moment, before it turned its horned head to the dragon perched above, looking down at the proceedings.

" _Mu fen drun ek voth mu, ahrk ofan ek ol aan ofan wah un zeymah."_ It said.

The twin dragons took flight once more, with the smaller dragons' right behind them. The leader took off and circled around over the village, watching and waiting for anyone to attack. But the one that was watching… it spread its wings and swooped down, faster than anyone could react, snatched Astrid up into its claws, and took off to follow the others. The six dragons and their hostage flew to the north, and the villagers could do nothing as they heard Astrid's fear filled screams fading into the distance.

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All words spoken by Black Moons are words in Dovahzul, language of the dragons from Skyrim. I'm borrowing their language so I can have talking dragons.

Translations:

Shadow was here some time ago. We need to find where he has gone. Dusk, Dawn, search the forest. Ghost, stop these humans from attacking. Sky and Storm, you are with me, we will search this village for our brother.

She is bound as Shadow's servant.

We will bring her with us, and give her as a gift to our brother.


	3. Chapter 3

Thankyouthankyouthatnkyou everyone who reviewed! I love you all! I cant believe there are so many people who are following and liking my story, you guys are awesome! and to show how greatful I am for those reviews, heres a new chapter for you. enjoy.

:)

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Astrid learnt to stop screaming quite a while ago. The dragon that held her in its claws made it very well known that if she didn't stop her wailing, he would take drastic measures to get her to stop. Mostly by dropping her towards the ocean below, and catching her only after she was begging her gods to save her.

They had been flying for days, and only stopped twice per day so she could eat and take care of nature's call. They flew fast over the racing oceans, seemingly desperate to arrive at their destination, and only ever stopped for however long it was necessary for her.

Astrid hurt all over. Being carried in the claws of the black beasts wasn't something she liked, but none of them cared for her comfort. At least she was able to fall asleep quickly in the dragons claws. There was nothing she could do as they flew, she could only gaze upon the six dragons that she unwillingly travelled with.

The largest female was obviously the leader, being much larger than the others. Her underbelly was completely covered in silver scales, same as the other females, but her body was decorated more than theirs. Her black scales seemed to be the darkest, absorbing whatever light was around them.

Then there were the twins, or who she assumed were twins. They were mirror images of each other, copying what the other did in an uncanny manner. At least she could tell them apart. One was male, the other was female. But their wings were tinged with shades of purple, almost like a dawn, or a dusk. Maybe that was their names.

The dragon that held her mostly had strange patterns on his chest, shoulders and face, like war paint or tattoos, but in those sparkly silver scales. The face scales almost resembled a dragons skull…

The last two were the smallest, with the female being the most streamlined of all of them. She rode the wind as if it bowed to her. Her wings never faltered, like some of the others did on rough updrafts. She rode the skies like a master, and was one of the faster fliers. The other male was the smallest, and probably the youngest. But he had the bigger temper of all of them. He mostly kept by himself at the back of their pack, but would growl if any others got too close. Most likely the loner, but a ferocious fighter. His stormy attitude was noticed by her the very first time Astrid was allowed to move around on her own.

The pack of dragons had been flying almost non stop for two weeks now. Astrid was sure that everyone back on Berk would think her dead right now, not being held captive by these great black beasts. Two weeks of solid flying and the dragons were tiering. She saw that the lead female kept turning her gaze to the night sky every night. Watching the moon as it disappeared with every passing day.

It was when the moon was but a tiny sliver in the sky that they did not stop for her. Astrid tried protesting, but her captor only growled, not allowing her any leeway. The pack flew on, all day and all night. Never stopping. Never resting.

They made it to the mountain just as the sun set on the night of the new moon. The dragons cried out in joy at the sight of it, although Astrid had no idea why. They circled the desolate mountain, roaring in glee, before entering the side near the top, and landing on the rough stone.

Finally, Astrid was released from the dragons claws, and allowed to move around. The stone room was massive, able to hold at least twelve of these huge black dragons, and there were many arching tunnels branching off in all directions. As one, the pack of dragons walked through the center tunnel, following the twists and turns until they came to another room.

This room was fit for a king. The black stone throne took up most of the back wall, towering above the horns of the black beasts, built so that a dragon even bigger than the lead female could lounge around on it without scraping her wings. The rest of the room was occupied by a gargantuan stone table, with six stone thrones situated around it. Iron braziers flanked the walls, illuminating the cavernous room in a golden light.

Out of the shadows came something. A massive, colossal creature who's presence was felt by everyone. Astrid trembled at the power she sensed from the creature as it stepped into the light. There, standing next to one of the braziers, was the great black beast. The one who kidnapped Hiccup, who decimated the village, who challenged Chief Stoick and nearly killed him. The monster who corrupted Hiccup, and who had marked her. In his dragon form, he was enormous.

Black, obsidian scales flickered in the half-light, the tattoo-like patterns of his silver scales running from the edges of his maw, right down his muscular chest and entwining over his wings and shoulders like silver ribbon. The crown of ivory horns glimmering like polished marble. And those eyes, gorgeous silver eyes, flecked with gold.

The magnificent and terrible beast stood before the six before him, and they all bowed to him. Noses to the ground, heads bowed in respect. The demon bowed back, yet shallower than those before him.

" _Wuth Zeymah…"_ they sung.

" _Dii goraan fron…"_ he answered.

As one they bowed, and as one they rose. Each of the six looked to the larger dragon in respect, before all rushing towards him and crashing into him with gleeful purrs and growling laughs, hugging him with their wings and talons. Each of them rubbed heads with the larger dragon, purring with affection for one another.

Astrid watched on, shocked as the seven dragons greeted and spoke to one another in that strange, guttural language of theirs. All of them completely ignoring her. Maybe she could make a run for it, loose them somewhere in the mountain?

But the moment she took a step towards the closest tunnel, one of the dragons growled. It was the largest female. The dragoness stalked over to her and herded her away from the exit, and made her stand at the feet of the great black beast. His gold and silver eyes staring intently at hers.

" _Zu'u dahmaan hi, mal kendov…_ " it said, looking her over. Astrid shivered under the drake's intense gaze. Never before had she felt so small and helpless. Behind her, the female spoke again.

" _Mu drun ek ol aan zaam. Aan aar._ "

Astrid might not have been able to understand the language, but she understood well enough what she was being given to him as a servant. A slave, or pet. She shuddered at the thought of what he would do to her. The dragon before her had a human form, and who knew what he would do to her if he was like that?

The dragon could almost see the disgusted look in her eyes, and thought for a moment. Could he tell what she was thinking? But instead, he swung his massive horned head to the tunnel she was going to escape through. The dragon called out " _Goraan sos."_

To her surprise, Hiccup walked out. He didn't look like that abomination she fought all those months ago, with the darker hair, sharpened claws and elongated fangs. No, he looked perfectly normal. Same buck teeth and all. He noticed her instantly. The black dragon spoke again.

" _Take ek wah aan room ko fin strunmah, near hin. Zu'u fen deal voth ek later."_ Hiccup nodded and walked over to her, completely at ease in his surroundings. As he got closer, Astrid could see new changes in him. He was taller for one, and his hair was slightly darker than its normal auburn colour, and some silver specks sparkled in his green was also more muscular, but still quite slim.

"Hey Astrid, long time no see… Shadow has asked me to give you a room. Come with me." And without another word, he turned to leave, only looking over his shoulder once he got to the tunnel entrance to check if she was following. Cautiously, she wandered into the darkened hallway after him. But as soon as they were away from the seven dragons, she lunged.

But unlike her plan, he was ready for her, and dodged expertly and much faster than she anticipated. She tried striking him, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the wall, his arm against her throat.

"I had a feeling you would try that." He said calmly. "I can understand why though. You were obviously kidnapped form Berk and brought here against your will. I can promise you though that you will not be harmed here, as long as you don't go attacking anyone again." With that, he let her go and continued walking down the halls as if nothing had happened. She followed, a bit put out by the fact that Hiccup had overpowered her. Finally, he brought her to an opening and let her walk inside.

It looked like a guest room, carved into the mountain. Well, that was exactly what it was. But at least it looked comfortable. There was a stone bed on the far wall, piled with thick furs, a stone basin for washing, and shelves carved into the walls. There was even a bear skin rug on the floor and candles all over the room, which Hiccup lit as he walked through the room.

"My room is right next door down the hall if you need anything. But unless its important, I recommend you stay in here. The dragons here wont attack you, but they probably wont tolerate your presence either way. You will be retrieved tomorrow for breakfast where Shadow will decide what to do with you." With that, he started to walk out and leave her to her own devices, but stopped once he got to the door.

"Oh, before I forget, I should let you know. Its a new moon tonight, so don't be alarmed if you hear screaming around midnight…"

Then he left.

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Older Brother

My younger kin

I remember you, little warrior

We bring her as a slave. A gift.

Young blood.

Take her to a room in the mountain, near yours. I will deal with her later


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, I know there have been a lot of messages asking about Astrid's involvement, so hopefully this chapter will answer everything. No, she will not be anyone's romantic interest. but she does play a key role in the story. With this chapter, everything should begin to make sense.

And thankyou everyone for your reviews. :) Keep em coming!

Oh, and I'd like to introduce you all to the Seven Black Moon Princes... Enjoy!

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The next morning was certainly interesting. Astrid was woken in the middle of the night by ungodly screams and pain filled roars echoing throughout the mountain. It sounded like the dragons were being brutally murdered, but when she ran to find Hiccup after it started, he told her to go back to bed while he walked off calmly into the gloomy tunnels.

She didn't sleep well after that. The haunting screams never ceasing in her mind. She jumped up with fright when a Terrible Terror woke her in the morning. It merely huffed and wandered around the room, dropping off a piece of parchment before wandering out of the room and standing at the door. On the note was a simple message.

 _You are invited to dine with the Lord of Dead Mountain, and the Six Princes in the dining hall an hour after sunup. There is a change of clothes next to the bathing pools three levels down. The Terrible Terror who delivered this message will take you where you want to go. We respectfully request you join us, there are a few things we need to discuss._

 _~ Hiccup._

It almost screamed 'trap'. But what could they possibly do to her? Yea, they were dragons, but why take the time to invite her to breakfast when they could have attacked her at night while she slept. Or maybe _she_ was breakfast…

No, that was ridiculous. The dragons she had travelled with only ate boar and fish, they could have eaten her at any time, especially on those days when they didn't catch anything. It was illogical to think that they had dragged her along just to kill her now. But that didn't mean that she would go without her knife in her boot.

She got ready, taking the few personal items she had down with her to the bathing pools, being directed by the little Terrible Terror. When she got down to the baths, she stood there in shock. The pools were enormous, little waterfalls filling the bathing areas and tiny rivers filtering out the used water. Near the back wall, she could see a red glowing light. Looking down, she could see a slow moving river of lava, heating the pools of water throughout the entire cavern. Some pools were hotter, and some were cooler.

She chose one of the cooler pools for her bath, washing quickly and getting rid of the grime from her skin. Never again would she not bathe for more than a few days. Two weeks without a bath was awful.

There were also soaps piled by the edges of the pools, and all over the stone shelves. Those dragons really went all out when fixing up this place, didn't they? Luxurious bedrooms - even for unanticipated guests – massive heated bathing areas with goat and yak milk soaps, it was surprisingly beautiful despite being inside a dark, gloomy mountain. It was almost nice.

Finished with her bath, and feeling much cleaner than ever, she got out of the pools and dried herself. But she wondered about her clothes. They would just ruin the bath she just took, putting all the grime back on and making her smell bad. But that question was already answered for her. A pile of clothes had been left right next to the soft towels. Just as the note had said.

Black wool leggings, long sleeve grey undershirt – with a neckline that covered everything except the bottom of her throat – there was also an overcoat coloured a lighter grey, with short sleeves and an open neckline with the front, back and sides splitting open from her knees to her hips, and a black leather vest to put on over that. A bit strange, but that was what had been left for her, so there wasn't much choice. At least it looked nice on her. After getting dressed, she tied her hair back into its normal braid, and followed the Terror up to the dining hall.

She expected to see seven black dragons and Hiccup, not a group of humans! They all wore outfits similar to hers, with a few variations for each individual. But black was obviously their colour pallet, and wool and leather being their favourite materials. Though in this cold place it was a good thing.

She recognised the lead male, it was the same one who she had found with Hiccup in the cove all those months ago. His name was Shadow if she remembered correctly. He was sitting at the head of the table.

The woman next to him on his right she hadn't seen before, but she recognised her as the leading female on her way here. She looked a few years younger than Shadow, roughly nineteen if she had to guess, with the same black hair and silver eyes. Her hair was much longer though, coming down to her shoulders.

And now that she looked, Astrid could recognise each of these humans as the dragons she travelled with. The twins she could easily recognise, being mirror images of each other, just male and female counterparts. They looked about two, maybe two and a half years older than her.

Then there was the one that carried her. He had a few tattooed lines on his face, resembling a skull somewhat. His eyes were practically dead. She guessed his age to be about the same as hers. And the final two looked at most three years younger than herself, and at least, only a year younger. The girl looked very lithe, like an athlete or sprinter, only a year younger than Astrid, but the younger male just looked grumpy with his dark, stormy eyes. His grumpiness could have been caused because he was the youngest and smallest looking.

Hiccup was seated there too, right next to Shadow on his left. Still looking perfectly human and not the feral monster the demon had turned him into.

Shadow noticed her standing in the doorway and waved her over. All the others noticed her as soon as she was pointed out. At least their smiles seemed genuine.

"Now that we are all here, I suppose that the official introduction are in order. Oh, and thank you for meeting with us this morning Lady Astrid." Said Shadow. Astrid took the available seat next to Hiccup, with the skull dragon sitting on her opposite side.

"This is a very important time in our history. The assemblage of the Black Moon Princes has never happened before, neither has the formation of a new court in a new nest. Our survival and history will be formed within the stone walls of Dead Mountain, with the new Black Moon court as progress's figurehead."

After this short speech, Shadow turned to his left, looking right at Astrid and Hiccup.

"I believe I haven't fully introduced myself – to either of you. I apologise for that. I am Shadow Void-Wing, Eldest and Seventh of the Black Moon Princes." He indicated the woman to his right. "This is my second in command, and my first sister. Lady Midnight, Duchess of the Assassin guild, royal assassin to my court." Midnight smirked as she was introduced. Shadow then pointed to the twins.

"These are my younger brother and sister, the Duplicates. Dusk and Dawn, finest pair of spies in the Western Regions… My brother, Ghost. Interrogator and master of all known languages." The skull faced young man grunted a greeting.

"My sister, Sky. The Runner. Fastest flier in the Black Moon Hordes. And my youngest brother, Storm. One of the most ferocious fighters the Southern armies have ever seen. Striking fear into the hearts of a thousand men." The youngest male puffed out his chest at the introduction and praise.

"We are the Seven Black Moon Princes. Sons and daughters of Armageddon Void-Wing, the Black Moon King."

Astrid's jaw dropped to the floor. Princes! They were royalty?! And their father's name was Armageddon? What the hell kind of family did they come from? At least Hiccup looked almost as shocked as her.

Hiccup himself had known there was something up with Shadow. He might have had a few suspicions, but he didn't really expect this. After Shadow had called the seven princes, and only six showed up, he might have had an idea who the seventh was, but he almost didn't believe it was a possibility.

This was the family he was somehow a part of? While he shared Shadow's blood, did that mean he was one of the princes too? Would he be accepted by them? He didn't really think so. They were terrifying in their own right.

"My brothers and sisters, I welcome you to Dead Mountain. With me, I present the former heir to Berk's chiefdom. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third. I have awarded him my loyalty and trust, and a place at my side in the Black Moon court. He has saved my life a few times, and I him.

"And finally, Miss Astrid Hofferson. Warrior and Shield-Maiden of Berk. And if I am correct with my assumptions, a potential candidate for the chiefdom as Hiccup's replacement – provided she returns to Berk alive."

Astrid sheepishly waved at the assembled crowd. The youngest dragon, she could see, was staring at the two of them intently, his nostrils flaring. Storm turned to his eldest brother and spoke up.

"The boy, Hiccup, he smells of you my brother. It's as if his very blood has been tainted with your own." He accused. Shadow was not phased at all. "Ah, that. I was wondering when someone would notice. As I stated previously, Hiccup has saved my life on a few occasions, and I have done the same for him. In a time of necessity, we shared one another's blood, mostly for my own benefit so I could regain my lost strength. What I took from him, I gave back in equal share. He may not be a pure-blooded Black Moon, but he is still considered one of us."

The assembled dragons looked at the boy with interest, considering him and the words Shadow had spoken. The youngest female, Sky, smiled at him. "Well, in that case, welcome to the family!"

This time, Ghost spoke up. "What about her? Why does she bare your mark, brother? A mark of servitude which hasn't been invoked, and you nowhere to be found."

"That mark had been given to her because there was no alternative. She had stumbled across the place that Hiccup and I were hiding on Berk, and she saw the two of us. Worst of all, she saw me in a kind of hybrid form, with wings, a tail, horns and claws. We could not kill her to keep her quiet, so I scared her instead."

"And now that this mark has gotten me here, what do you plan to do with me?" demanded Astrid. Shadow smirked at her, flashing slightly elongated teeth. She hadn't forgotten what those teeth were capable of.

"My brothers and sisters intended for you to be my little house warming present. They intended for me to make you my thrall, my pet. A slave. But I have much better plans for you, my dear. While you stay under this mountain, you are a guest, a representative and advisor from Berk. You will play witness to the Black Moon court as we prepare to bring the rest of our clan to Dead Mountain. You are our political advantage. You will witness what we can do, what we have, what we plan to do, and how much of a benefit – or an enemy – we can be to the other clans in the Archipelago."

Now he turned to the Black Moon court members, the other princes.

"This brings me to the next order of business. We cannot bring out kind here safely while there is another nest close by. There is a Beta dragon at Helheim's Gate, between Dead Mountain and the southern lands that our kind will flock from. While the queen lives there, we cannot bring our kind to their new home. This is why I have summoned you all here, my siblings. Together, we can bring down the Red Death and take over her territory, giving us more land and resources than we need, and a massive advantage over the other clans. And with Astrid as our witness, she can get them to side with us and not against us. With the death of the queen, we can fully begin our new lives, far greater than anything our forefathers have ever given us."

All the humanoid dragons smirked. "We fight with you, eldest. Bring us to glory!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, sorry for being away for a while, I wasnt entirely sure what to include in this chapter. But never fear, I've written something I think you will enjoy. Now, I know that the topic of Life-Force has popped up before, as well as how to get more... And I know that previously I have hinted to a few things regarding this topic, so now, you will learn some past events that happened with Shadow Void-Wing. I'm sure I've mentioned another brother in this story somewhere, and in this chapter, you will learn exactly what happened to him, as well as a tiny bit of fluff near the end to do with Hiccup and Shadow. This chapter is mostly from Astrid's POV though, but down worry about that. (Also, I know some of you were annoyed at the fact that I pulled her into this story, but I do have plans for her. She is a key player, if youve forgotten that fact.)**

 **But anyway, on with the show!**

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The days were flying by for everyone. When the plans were thought over and finalised, Hiccup had been inundated with work orders to fill down in his new forge. All seven princes needed armour, and Astrid and himself needed flight suits. They were planning on attacking Helheim's Gate, and needed the equipment to do so, which fell to Hiccup.

But he wasn't left to do it alone – like he used to be – each morning, one of the princes would go down with him to the Magma Forge, and conjure their armour, and be his assistant the entire day while he shaped and fitted iron armour pieces. He was the forge master, and they were his apprentices. This made work go extremely quickly. Two to three days on each set of armour and they were finished, instead of the usual week and a half it used to take him.

Shadow however was managing the battle plans for their attack, and managing all the time they were using. He coordinated what everyone would be doing that day so they were always working at maximum efficiency. He even commanded the other few dragons, like the Nightmares and Nadders, to scour the surrounding lands and bring in new supplies every few days. It was like a well-oiled machine, and there were only nine of them all together!

Astrid was left mostly to her own devices, but was often dragged into doing work as well. Since she was a guest of the Black Moons, she was held to the same rules as them; she was treated with the utmost respect as their guest, but she had to pull her own weight as well. She helped at the Magma Forge like everyone else, she helped prepare meals like everyone else, and she trained with them as well, preparing for the coming battle. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was enjoying her stay immensely with Hiccup and the Princes. It reminded her of a smaller version of Berk, but with so much more going on, and everyone worked together seamlessly.

It was very different to what Berk had become. A village divided, terror filled streets, and a maddened Chief. Stoick had been slowly losing it between the time when Hiccup left and she was taken; he was probably worse now, and the village would be suffering because of it. Her parents would surely be terrified for her.

How would Berk react if they could see just how awesome the Black Moons were? If they could see how well they worked, what they were all like, how their system required everyone in their community, and how they didn't leave anyone behind. If Berk could see just what these creatures could do, maybe some good could come from it. But no, Stoick would never see any good in these dark creatures, and the man hated them more than anyone else since the kidnap of his son. But there was no way Hiccup would ever go back, even if it meant creating a truce.

Unless the Black Moon Princes could come up with anything, it was doubtful there would be any sort of truce or comradery between the two clans.

A lot of time had already passed since her arrival, and already, she didn't want to go home. She could live here if they allowed it. But they had different plans apparently, which she didn't know the full extent of yet since Shadow was still planning. But at least she got on well with the other Princes. Most of them kept to themselves, but would interact with one another when the time came, and the same went for Astrid and Hiccup. The Shield-Maiden got along best with the eldest female, Midnight, who she could have all sorts of conversations with. And of course, Hiccup got along best with Shadow.

One night during dinner, Astrid decided that she would ask her new friend Midnight what she thought about the two. She had seen the eldest Prince giving Hiccup all kinds of looks, and would occasionally follow him into darkened rooms, but due to the heavy workload they never really got any time to themselves. It still irked Astrid, the whole 'relationship' between the two, but she did her best to ignore it. At least she could ask Midnight about it.

They were all seated around the stone table in the dining hall, a feast of meats laid out before them, as well as a few cases of wine that been found on a wrecked ship. Hiccup wasn't at the table – as he was adding the final touches to the flight suits, but all of the princes were there, enjoying their meal and wine.

Astrid, who was seated next to Midnight, got her attention when Shadow appeared and sat down at the head of the table.

"Uh, hey Midnight…" she whispered. The Dragoness looked towards her in interest. "What do you think about the relationship between Hiccup and Shadow?" she asked timidly. Midnight swallowed the mouthful of meat she was eating before answering.

"Well, there are a lot of things I think about them. Why do you ask?"

Astrid turned her gaze away and played with her food. "I'm just a bit curious is all."

"Well, in that case, I'll tell you what I think. Hiccup is by no means Shadow's first lover, and will not be his last, but I can see that the boy makes him happy. In the time I have known Shadow, I know that he has never had a lot of happiness in his life. As the eldest, our father expected him to take over the throne, and defeat any competition that he faces. Armageddon never really gave him any time for personal pleasures in his youth. I can see that Hiccup is giving him some of that love and attention that he lacked as a child, and it is making him happier than I have ever seen him." The dragoness looked right into Astrid's eyes, reading her thoughts about the two of them.

"It doesn't matter to me what gender Hiccup is. The fact that they are both males doesn't bother me one bit, in fact, most Black Moons are attracted to both genders. It is rare for us to find any sort of love, and being picky about our lovers' sex is something we never really have time for. I know for a fact that all of my brothers and sisters are attracted to both genders. Shadow is no exception."

Astrid turned away and thought for a moment. Over the time she had been here, she learnt that these dragons-turned-humans she was living with, were hundreds of years old. In fact, Storm – the youngest – was over two hundred years old. The rest were hundreds of years older. So it made sense that Shadow would have had many lovers, being the eldest. He had lived longer than any of them. When you are that old, and humans had such short lifespans, it shouldn't matter what your lover looks like, or what their gender is.

But Astrid began to think about one thing that Midnight said; that their father expected him to take the throne, and that he never had a happy childhood. She decided to ask out of pure curiosity. But as soon as the words had left her mouth, Midnight's eyes turned dead.

"You've seen what we are capable, haven't you?" she asked in a monotone voice. Astrid nodded.

"The first born child of a Black Moon king is always one of the most powerful dragons of our kind. A regular Black Moon dragon has the strength to match a legion of soldiers. A prince, so me and my younger siblings, have the strength of three legions each. But the firstborn… if trained properly, they have the strength and capability of facing five legions of soldiers, and coming out victorious. In history, there have been firstborn princes… just one dragon, against entire armies. And Shadow is the eldest of us. His power far surpasses us all. Many would fight for a power like that, to have someone that strong under their control. But that amount of power can corrupt. If my brothers and sisters were to go to war with Shadow tomorrow, he would slaughter us all. The six of us combined wouldn't be able to kill him. The only one that would ever have the strength to match our eldest, is the seventh."

She took a heavy breath and turned to Astrid, not bothering to hide the tears pooling in her eyes as she spoke.

"The seventh born prince of the Black Moon king is unlike any other. Where the eldest prince's power comes directly from the father, the king, the other prince's powers come from our mother, the queen. But the seventh… the seventh's power comes from their brothers and sisters. The seventh has the combined power of the five that came before it, and is the only one strong enough to battle the eldest for supremacy. It is the task of the seventh to make sure that the eldest doesn't become corrupted, and if they do, it is their task to put the eldest down, and take their place as the first in line for the throne.

"We had a younger brother once… his name was Inferno. He was such a lovely child, and loved his older brother, Shadow. They did everything together. It was because of Inferno that Shadow was never corrupted by his own power even when our father trained him, rather, it was Inferno who fell prey to the combined power of us, those who his power came from. He was only young when he learned what the seventh could do, and it was from our father's court members influence that he was corrupted. One day, he challenged Shadow, under the orders of our father's court. He might have been extremely young, only two hundred years, but he could match Shadow, who was five centuries old at that point.

"Shadow had no choice but to fight him, and during the battle, he tried so desperately to bring his brother back to him… it never worked. Inferno was lost to us, and Shadow was forced to take his life. But Shadow had been warped, shaped by our father's influence over him. He was being trained as a future king, and already, Armageddon's bloodlust had been imprinted onto his eldest son. As soon as Inferno was mortally wounded, brought down by Shadow's claws, he just… lost it. Shadow snapped. The bloodlust took a hold of him and he tore Inferno apart, only just keeping him alive while he ripped him to pieces. It only ended when Shadow tore out Inferno's heart, and swallowed it whole.

"After that, Shadow had changed dramatically. Armageddon had been training him brutally to be a war machine, and the death of his brother nearly killed him. For the last two hundred years, he has been suffering traumatic grief from what he did to his brother. Our father didn't even care that his seventh son had been murdered, only saying that it was Shadow's destiny to fight inferno, and that he did what was expected of him… Storm was born a year after Inferno's death, and in the time he has been alive, I haven't seen Shadow truly happy.

"Until now, when I see him with Hiccup."

It was at that moment that Hiccup walked in, completely unaware of their conversation. Instead of being in his normal clothes, he was dressed in one of the new flight suits he was developing. Astrid was to be given one, but she didn't know if it was finished yet. Hiccup's suit looked like it was. As the boy wandered up to the eldest prince seated at the head of the table, Astrid got a good look at the new suit.

Crafted from some of the best leather they could find, the suit covered him from head to toe, not leaving any body part exposed except for above his neck. It looked like there were multiple layers to the suit, the bottom layer being the insulator, designed to keep him warm from the cold, rushing winds. The second layer covered his legs, chest, back and arms in multiple large shaped pieces, like a thin layer of toughened leather armour, covering almost all of the important parts, only leaving small gaps on the elbows and knees. The third layer protected less, but was made from iron pieces, looking like iron scales, that were studded to the second layer. The iron armour pieces protected his back and chest, as well as his shoulders, upper arms and thighs. The third layer was designed mostly to protect the larger areas of his body, freeing up the rest of his form to move easily. All over him were pockets and pouches for various items, and he wore a pair of soft soled calf length leather boots, and a pair of leather gauntlets, reinforced at the knuckles and fingertips with iron made claws.

It really accentuated his form, showing off the toned muscles he had somehow gotten whilst being with the shadowy prince. He looked tougher than normal, bigger and fuller almost. To be honest, he looked good. Shadow noticed this fact too, if the hunger filled eyes were anything to go by.

Hiccup walked right up to Shadow and asked what he thought about the suit, and if it would be suitable for flight and combat. Shadow couldn't stop smirking at him with that dark look in his eyes, and pulled him in close. Hiccup fell into his lap with a small, surprised sound, but he sat there comfortably and without fear while Shadow ran his hands over him and the suit, whispering tender words into his ear about how good he looked.

From where Astrid sat, it looked a little strange, Hiccup in another man's lap, but when she looked into their faces as they gazed at each other, she could see just how happy they both were. She had known Hiccup had a hard life and childhood, and from what she learnt from Midnight, Shadow wasn't much better off either. But when she saw them look at each other like that, she could see how easily they were able to push back those horrible memories, simply by being close to one another.

Astrid could see what Midnight said, how Hiccup made Shadow happy despite the traumatic events he suffered, and she could see the same with Hiccup, how the drake nullified all the bad instances in his life.

They really did make each other happy.

And it was something they both deserved, despite what the world thought of them. They deserved to be happy.

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 **Maybe you have asked yourself - or me - how Shadow is able to change his form at will a few times each month, well I hope this answers exactly how he got that extra Life-Force to give him that ability. He stole it from his younger brother when he killed him. (Shadow deeply regrets what he did, and kinda hates his father for training him to be a mindless killing machine. this being why he lost himself and killed Inferno)**

 **But yea, his extra Life-Force came from his younger brother, and since then, has had enough strength to trigger a transformation early. Hope this answers everything.**

 **Seeya next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone, Im back with a new chapter. I really wanted to finish this soon for one important reason. One of the last people who sent a review to my story. A guest reviewer. I thought I would finish this chapter early especially for you, dear Guest, so I could give you this message.

Yea, no. There will be no Hicstrid. Why? Because I said so! Because it doesn't go with the story. Shadow is the romantic interest, not Astrid. Why would Hiccup fall for a girl that tormented him and treated him like dirt, who got jealous and spied on him because he was just a bit better than her in training. If you read my last fanfic, then you might remember a particular scene, with the Nadder and the maze. Do you remember what Astrid said to him? Why would he want to be with her if she said that? And yea, Astrid _is_ a key player, just not in a romantic sense! She is their POLITICAL ADVANTAGE! She is a pawn in their plans to have the other clans join with them. They are using her as a witness to convince the other clans to become a part of their territory. And if you dont want me to have Astrid in here very much, then fine, cuse the princes plan on giving her back anyway! Understand where I'm coming from? I hope so. If not and you wish to argue this point further, then leave a review from an account I can contact so we can have a civil debate about _my story_. Feel free to PM me if you want to continue this, or if you dont like my story and how I'm writing it... the back button is in the top left corner of most internet browsers.

Good day to you, mysterious guest reviewer.

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Oh, and to everyone else that reviwed that had something nice to say, thankyou all for your support. you guys are awesome and its you who keep me motivated to write more. Keep and eye out for the next chapter, it should include the fight against the Red Death! The Black Moon Princes will bring glory to their kind and vanquish the evil queen!

All hail the Black Moon Hordes!

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Finally, the armour sets were finished! Hiccup's work the last month had really paid off, and with the princes helping him, things were finished much sooner than he thought. Not only were the prince's armour completed, along with the two flight suits and a new saddle, but the battle plans were complete too. And right on time!

Shadow had spoken to them about his plan to take down the queen just yesterday, right after Hiccup presented the princes with their armour, and Astrid with her riding suit. The plan was relatively simple, but with a few complex manoeuvres that the princes knew well. They would fly to Dragon Island, the home of the Red Death and confront her about their presence. She would be given one opportunity to bow to the might of the Black Moons, and one chance only. If she chose to accept, then the Black Moons would expand their territory over hers, and the queen would be forced to share and abide by their laws. If she refused – which was the likelier option – then they would challenge her in open battle.

If it came to that, then the princes would make good use of their life long training, and lure her out of her home, and into the sky. Shadow had volunteered himself for the more dangerous task, keeping her attention on him while the others got close to her and strike multiple blows on the weak points in her body. With her enraged, they would lead her into the sky and disable her wings, then lead her into a steep descent, which hopefully, she would not survive if they managed to wreck enough damage onto her wings. It was a simple, yet slightly complex plan, but Shadow guaranteed it would be effective.

It was good that the plans had been finalised. The black moon was on the rise in a few nights, and they needed to be ready to move out. It was a long trip, even for a dragon, and they had to get there, defeat the queen, and return home before they were stuck in their human forms away from Dead Mountain. But with Shadow as their timekeeper, things were sure to go smoothly.

Once the armour was handed out, the princes never seemed to take it off. They wore it whilst doing every job and chore around the mountain. They'd cook in it, fight in it, work in it, and even slept in it. At first it seemed quite strange, but soon, and after an explanation, the two humans were used to seeing it. Not only did they have to get used to wearing it, so they could move expertly whilst swathed in armour, but it also had to do with some of their perplexing Black Moon magic.

See, what Hiccup had learned these last few months was that what a Black Moon wore most often, would be pulled into their dragon form when they transformed. It was a bit of a strange concept that he was still trying to wrap his head around actually. Whatever the drake or dragoness wore, the characteristics and materials of their clothing would somehow become a part of their dragon forms. High quality materials, silks and satin's would make their scales glimmer and shine, and absolutely soft to the touch. Thicker materials and clothes such as leather coats and jackets made their scales thicker, tougher, and mostly dull and lustreless.

Patterns, swirls and embroidery on outfits became markings on their bodies, temporary tattoos almost, that changed with their outfits. Real tattoos were obviously more permanent, but less pronounced.

But with the armour they now wore, with the steel and iron components; the chainmail, the cuirass, the pauldrons and armbraces… those would become entwined with their dragon form, blending and welding with their scales and horns. Covering their bodies to form an almost impenetrable shell. With the combined strength of their scales and the armour that would bind to them, no blade could pierce them.

They were scheduled to move out two days after their transformation, which would be happening tonight. After dinner had been served and everyone ate their fill, the princes left to their rooms to await the transformation. Shadow however, didn't leave just yet. Just as Hiccup was about to walk down the tunnels to his room, Shadow gently grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Um, Hiccup… I uh, need to ask a favour of you…" he said timidly. Hiccup turned and faced him, watching as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Would you… uh… would you stay with me tonight…? For the transformation." He elaborated. Hiccup tilted his head quizzically, but nodded anyway. Shadow gave a small smile and thanked him. The two of them went down the tunnel and into Shadow's room in the mountain.

It was a lot larger than Hiccup's room, since half the time, Shadow was in dragon form. There was a massive nest in one corner, carved into the very floor like a crater, big enough to fit a sleeping dragon, filled with soft hay and a lot of furs. There were shelves carved into the walls, filled with odds and ends, and even what looked like a large bath tub against one wall, or was it a drinking fountain? Either way, it could have been used as a bath for a human – maybe two – or a large drinking bowl for a dragon. Shadow even had a balcony to outside the mountain, like his own private landing pad.

Shadow moved over to the bed of furs and sat down on the edge, gaze aimed at the ground. He looked like a nervous child almost, if the iron armour and his massive size didn't ruin the picture. He sighed, then started to speak.

"Never before in my life have I worn iron or steel plated armour… especially in my dragon form... When I was a young boy, almost considered a full grown adult, my father sought to do to me what he did to himself centuries ago… he- he tried welding armoured plates to my scales… tried making my armour literally become a part of me… he held the metal pieces to my skin and used his fire to melt them to my flesh…" Shadow curled in on himself and shivered from the memory, his hands ghosting over his arms and shoulders as if he could still feel the pain.

"I've never been able to wear steel or iron armour before… even now at this age, I still can't stand it… it gives me nightmares of what he did to me." He trembled as he spoke.

Then he turned his gaze up to Hiccup, with pleading, desperate eyes. "Can you… can you stay with me… and help me through it? The nightmares I've had these past few nights haven't exactly made me confident for the transformation. I fear I might panic when I transform… I just- I just need you to be here with me." He whispered.

Hiccup went straight up to Shadow and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. He sat down next to the drake on the fur nest, and made sure that some part of him was touching the older male. The physical contact kept Shadow distracted from what was to come.

They sat there together comfortably, speaking about so many things as it got closer to midnight. When it got quite late, they moved into the nest and got comfortable, as if they were going to sleep together. Hiccup was reclined against the furs, while Shadow laid on his stomach, with his head on Hiccup's abdomen, like an overly large cat. They stayed that way for hours, gently touching one another as they spoke to pass the time.

When the transformation started, Shadow started to panic, feeling the iron armour he was still wearing become a part of his skin as he changed. He could feel it merging with him, welding to him. He started to thrash around in the nest of furs. But Hiccup was there with him, whispering sweet nothings to him as his body changed into that of an iron-clad fire-breathing dragon. He stroked his fingers through Shadows hair as he screamed in pain, keeping the drake's focus on himself instead of the pain. He played with Shadow's head as the scaled tattoos on his back manifested into real, membranous wings, and a thick whip-like tail. He soothed the drake as he turned from a young looking man into a great black beast that was a Black Moon dragon. As he shifted and grew in size, Hiccup kept a hold of his head in his lap, rubbing the scales on the top of his head and in between his lengthening horns like a massive pet cat. He kept Shadow's focus away from the iron armour melding to his body, and kept him from outright panicking.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, it stopped, and the screaming ceased. Shadow was exhausted from all the thrashing and all the pain, and let Hiccup's soothing hands on his scales lull him to sleep. Hiccup followed not long after, continuously patting the dragons head as sleep took him.

Not even the eldest prince of the Black Moons was free from traumatic experiences and horrors, and Hiccup was still my no means strong in any way. He could barely lift anything bigger than a dagger! But that boy, that small sweet boy, had so much strength in him that he was able to soothe the traumatised prince. Prevented him from tearing himself apart as the ghosts of his past burned their way through his flesh and welded themselves onto his already damaged soul.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey everyone, I'm back again. I was getting really excited for this new chapter since its the beginning of a great battle, and I thought I would post this to give you a taste. I hope I made it good enough.

Oh, one more thing. Dear Guest reviewer. I understand that my words to you before were less than polite, I appologise, I was having a bad day at the time and wasnt in the best state of mind. You do have many great points about Astrid never really tormenting Hiccup in the movie, but let me raise a few points. I know that in the movie, Hiccup had been gawking at her from the blacksmith's shop, acting like a lovesick puppy, but who wouldnt? Apart from Ruffnut, shes the only eligible female on the whole island (that we know of). And compared to the female twin, she's gorgeous. Just abot any straight male in her age group would be looking at her like that. lol. As for her not tormenting Hiccup after the raid, she didnt exactly help him or side with him either. She doesnt bully him, but she didnt help, in some cases that is just as bad.

As for the next scene which you mentioned, with the nadder, she snapped at him. Yea he had been getting under everyone's feet, but hes clumsy, we all know this. She let her anger get the beter of her, and who wouldnt be upset by that. if someone had yelled at me like that, I would have gotten upset (especally if there is a weapon involved.)

With the scene in the movie where she sees Toothless and tries to save Hiccup, I believe she was just acting on impulse and instincts. And I know that after the whole 'romantic flight' and the Nightmare battle, that she becomes his loyal follower, but after what he showed her, I find it hard to beloeve that she wouldnt. He showed her the world from a new perspective, its a big eye opener for anyone. A similar thing happened in the riders of berk series when Stoick was looking for his own dragon and Hiccup showed him the same thing. Everyone is affected by the thrill of flying.

I porbably dont have enough space to continue talking, or else this A/N is going to end up longer than the chapter. Overall, you do have many good points, but for the sake of my story, she had to be that bit more cold and jealous of him to make him side with Shadow more. I wouldnt have a story if she was exactly as the movie portrayed her, Hiccup needed that extra push to want to be with Shadow, and Astrid being on the other side of the scale was what tipped it in my favour.

Final point: about me not seeming to like Astrid. Shes actually one of my favourite characters, but for the purpose of this story, she couldnt be a major focus point or romantic interest. Yes, she is important as the Black Moons political advantage, but thats about it. She will have a few key moments in the future that decides Berk's and the Black Moon's fate, but Shadow is my key piece on the board. Oh, and as for the whole relationship thing, I for one, find gay couples cute. for me personally... meh, I dont know if that applies to me.

Anyway, on with the show.

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The air was thick with anticipation for the battle to come. Dragons pacing restlessly as they waited for the order to fly towards the enemy. Each and every prince was eager for a fight. Their anticipation and longing to fly into battle could be seen by the way their tails thrashed and flicked back and forth like an agitated cat.

But Shadow held them back, only for a day, so they could make their bodies accustomed to the weight and feel of their armour. Within hours, they had adjusted their flight patterns with the added weight of the iron, and could fly as seamlessly and as perfectly as before. Even Astrid was given training. How to sit and ride in the saddle. She was clumsy and uncoordinated at first, but eventually, she learned to let Midnight fly for her, and learnt to shift her weight accordingly to the twists and turns the dragon took.

As soon as the dawn's light tinged the sky the next morning, they were off. They didn't want to waste any more time as they flew to confront the queen. They were on the clock. Not only did they have to get to Helheim's Gate, and fight the queen, but they also had to return to Dead Mountain before the new moon reclaimed their dragon forms. If all went well, they would be back just in time, with perhaps a day to spare.

The princes flew in a V formation, using the slipstreams created by each other to speed up their flight and reduce their drag. All in all, they were making good time, and only rested for short periods to refresh their bodies. They didn't even stop for food, but instead dived towards the ocean and snatched up whatever fish happened to be near, and ate it as they flew.

To the unexperienced, this nonstop flying method was exhausting, but to the princes, it was just another day of traveling. They were used to it.

Finally, after just over a week and a half of almost nonstop flying, they arrived at Helheim's Gate, the home of the tyrannical Red Death. Now, they could finally rest, and get back the energy they lost from their overly long flight. Come dawn, they would challenge her, and make her bow to them. If she did not, then they would end her rule permanently.

The princes waited until they were ready, then mounted up and prepared to battle. Hiccup strapped on the two saddles, and made sure they were in order. Since he didn't have enough time to make a second good quality one like what Shadow had, Astrid was limited to the crude one he crafted at the Bog Burglars island all those months ago. But since she and Midnight wouldn't be doing any large complex manoeuvres and dangerous stunts, the smaller saddle would suit them just fine for now.

As the princes filled their bellies, Hiccup and Astrid donned on their flight suits. The buckles and straps kept the suit tight around their bodies, and prevented any icy cold air from hitting bare skin, and the iron reinforced armour plates would protect them from any glancing attacks. Hiccup wasn't too sure if they could take a frontal hit, but the plan wasn't to go on a full frontal assault. Their suits were meant for stealth and to defend from glancing blows as they kept to the side of the battle.

Finally, they were ready to confront the queen. And when Astrid and Hiccup donned their full face horned helmets, they were off. With their faced covered by the helms, they looked monstrous. Lower faces covered by what looked like an iron muzzle, specially crafted glass lenses – gifts from the princes with their otherworldly knowledge – to keep the wind out of their eyes, and streamlined steel horns like those of the dragons. They looked just as ferocious as the Black Moons they rode.

The mist surrounding the volcano reduced visibility greatly for the two human riders, but the princes could fly just fine. They navigated their way through the odd shaped sea stacks, past other flying dragons, and deep within the tunnels and caves of the mountain itself. When they reached the innermost cavern, Shadow let out an ear-splitting roar to announce their arrival. The dragons in the cavern screeched in fear and outrage at the sight of the seven princes. One by one, the princes landed on jutting outcrops of stone, right above the lava pit below that was hidden in a thick smog.

Shadow stood proud and tall, as did his brothers and sisters, looking as regal as ever, especially with the iron armour adorning his body. "Zu'u call nau fin jun do daar strunmah, fin Sahqo Dinok, Dovah Thur. Fin Ved Vulonkrein kulaan hind wah tinvaak voth hi." He roared into the depths of the mountain.

The stone beneath their feet trembled. The princes didn't flinch as the earth shook, but Hiccup could feel the terrible weight falling upon the earth trembling in his bones. Something was climbing up out of the lava at the bottom of the mountain.

Out of the thick mist, a gargantuan head emerged, with a maw bigger than anything Hiccup had ever imagined. Teeth the size of pillars, scales that looked as hard as stone, and six furious eyes, belonging to the Red Death herself. She was gargantuan! Hiccup trembled at the sight of the gluttonous creature, shaking like a leaf on Shadow's back. The drake gave a low rumble in his chest to soothe the boy without breaking eye contact with the colossal creature in front of him.

The Red Death growled in communication and greeting, but it wasn't with roars that she spoke. Hiccup almost jumped in terror when he heard a voice inside his head.

 _I thought I felt a dark presence in my territory. So, the Black scaled shapeshifters have finally reached this part of the world? I was beginning to wonder if your corruption would reach this far North._

Shadow growled in warning. "Un junaar grows alun larger. Un qalos spreads across fin lein."

 _So I have seen… The gathering of your royal members sent shudders of dark energy through these lands. My subjects could feel it, as can I. You seek to bring your toxic influence close to my own kingdom. You wish to conquer new lands for yourselves, to corrupt the lands with your evil stench!_

"Under fin jun rel, mu lost thur do fin lein. Vonun ko fin vokun. Nu, mu hind wah lahney ko drem. Nuz mu los ni growing soft. Mu wont kos aak wah other junaar."

 _Peace? Ha! Your kind do not know the meaning of the word. You kill and conquer simply because it is in your nature to be conquerors and killers. You may be invisible to the races of man, but your darkened motivations control them like puppets. With your kind, there is never peace, or equality amongst dragon kind. You always seek to be rulers._

"Zu'u los het wah offer aan truce. Mu lost un own growing junaar, nuz hin territory los between un ahrk un muz. Aav voth mu ahrk reap fin rewards do lost mu ol hin allies, uv side wah mu, ahrk mah. Mu hind wah lahney ko drem, nuz mu fen krif fod mu fen." Shadow growled.

The Red Death glared at the drake before her, who dared come into her territory and demanded she bow to him. Her six eyes looked up at the boy seated on the princes back. Her next words were addressed to him.

 _And what of you boy? You sit astride one of those demons like it is your pet! Where do your loyalties stand? Has this monster managed to corrupt you too?_

She paused and thought for a moment, not expecting him to answer, but knowing perfectly well that he understood her, and could answer her questions if he so chose.

 _I want to ask you a question boy. Just one question, with only two possible answers. The answer you chose will determine if I kill you and these monsters here and now, or hunt them down later. If you side with them, they will die by my claws. If you side against them, I will let you all leave with your lives, and kill you later._

 _So what say you, little boy… What colour do you bleed? … Do you bleed red? Or do you bleed black?_

Hiccup locked eyes with the tyrannical ruler of Helheim's gate, unflinching and unwavering. Shadow's presence soothed his frayed nerves. His blood had been pumping through his veins faster than he could believe, but now, he was calm and cool, ready for the outcome and the backlash that would surely come. What he felt must have been the calm before the storm. He knew what he would do.

Slowly, he slipped his hand to the dagger at his waist and drew it out of its scabbard. Not one part of his body was exposed since his armour covered him entirely, but there was one part it didn't. With his free hand, he removed his full face helmet, letting the Red Death see just how human he really was. But he wast. He brought the dagger to his own neck, and let the razor sharp edge just break through the skin, making him bleed. The colossal dragon's six eyes narrowing in fury at the sight of his pure black blood.

"I bleed black!" Hiccup roared.

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I call upon the ruler of this mountain, the Red Death, Dragon tyrant. The Black Night-Sun (Moon) princes wish to speak with you.

Our kingdom grows ever larger. Our influence spreads across the world

Under the king's rule, we were overlords of the world. Hidden in the shadows. Now, we wish to live in peace. But we are not growing soft. We won't be helpless against other kingdoms.

I am here to offer a truce. We have our own growing kingdom, but your territory is between ours and our people. Join with us and reap the rewards of having us as your allies, or side against us, and fall. We wish to live in peace, but we will fight if we must.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys, Im back again. You've probably been waiting for this for a while now, so here you are. the long awaited battle with the Red Death. Spoiler for ahead, Hiccup does not loose his leg in this. I know that in the movie he did, but that went hand in hand with Toothless's tailfin. Since Shadow has no similar injury, Hiccup will not receive a matching one. Oh, and just a small note for the end of the chapter, when you get to it you will understand, that little idea that Hiccup has will begin the sequences of events regarding Astrid's usefulness to the Black Moons. the battle of fire will end in this chapter, but the battle of words is just beginning.

Thankyou all for your time in reading this story. And thanks for all the reviews. Ill get back to you soon with another chapter.

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Hiccup barely had enough time to grasp the reins before Shadow took off in a flurry of wings, right as the Red Death's jaws snapped at the spot they were just standing in. The princes took off as well from their pillars, flying together in a spiral towards the upper most exit.

 _The tyranny of the Black Moons have gone on long enough! You may call me a tyrant because of what I do to my own subjects, but your kind are worse! The domination of the Black Moon King has corrupted the world for all creatures on this earth, and it has gone on for too long! I will end your new kingdom before it has even begun!_

Hiccup pulled the full face helmet back over his head just as the gargantuan dragon shot a burst of fire towards them. Her fire felt hotter than anything he had ever felt in his life. He could feel it burning his back, even as they cleared the mountain. Below them, the Red Death screamed and roared in fury, and the mountain trembled.

As the princes converged together, forming up in a v shape formation, part of the mountain shook and broke away. The Red Death rammed the side of the mountain with her huge, horned head, shouldering her way through the rock face and out into the open. Her battle cry shook the very earth.

Shadow grinned with malicious intent at the sight of his opponent, and his claws flexed as he imagined ripping into her flesh. Imagined tearing her apart.

 _I'll burn you to the ground!_

Her roar echoed through the hearts and minds of all the dragons around; through those that were fleeing the mountain from the impending battle, or watching on the side lines. The princes ignored her rage filled threat, and formed their first attack.

"Bo nau kulaan! Put nau hin kein paint!" Shadow roared. Faster than anything Hiccup had ever seen before, the twins, Sky, Storm and Ghost dived right for the Read Death's head, through her blind spot at the back of her head, and gorged four of her eyes out, cutting deep with their claws and making blood spurt everywhere.

The Read Death screamed in pain while the princes roared in triumph and battle fury, smearing their enemies blood over their scales like war paint. Even from this huge distance, Hiccup could see the light in their eyes change. Before, this was just a fight for territory. But now, this was war, simply to feel the enjoyment of it. To feel the blood lust. To feel the pleasure of killing.

Severally blinded, and with only two working eyes, the Queen thrashed her head around to try and spot them above her with her limited vision. Shadow roared in her face, grabbing her attention while the other slipped away into the mist and shadows. Even in their blood lust fuelled battle fury, they knew what they would do. They were calculated killers, and would take much pleasure out of maiming her before striking the killing blow.

Shadow kept her attention on him and Hiccup, dodging fireballs while he waited for the other princes to merge into position. When he knew the time was right, he stilled his flight, hovering in the air like an easy target. It was almost too easy. The Red Death tilted her head up to aim at him, and in doing so, exposed her throat to the twins. Right as she was preparing to fire, they struck, slipping in under her exposed neck, and cutting deep with their tail blades like a flick of a knife.

Blood gushed out of her wounds, and she misfired. They had nicked her arteries through her thick skin, and hit the glands in her neck that helped her spew fire. Now, as she drew in breath to fire at them, they could hear it. The wounds would open and stretch as she inhaled, and the deep cuts at her neck made it so they could hear the wind rushing down her windpipe. But it wasn't a killing blow. Not yet. They were still taunting her.

Enraged, the Queen swung around, trying to hit the black dragons with her bulbous tail. That was when Ghost, Sky and Storm converged for their attack. The two older princes used the same methods, just glancing by their intended target, and nicking it with their tail blades. They aimed for the tendons in her back legs, severing them with a clean sweep.

Storm, however, barrel rolled under her belly and used his massive claws to gorge as deep as he could along her stomach. Blood gushed in their wake. The Red Death continued to scream, and despite her disability, kept firing at the Black Moons flying around her, and stomping her massive feet to try and crush them.

It was like a hunt to them. Like wolves tormenting a deer. Striking to maim and not kill, simply for the pleasure of seeing their prey wounded. The princes eyes literally glowed with battle fury, while they smeared more blood over their faces, chests and front legs like macabre body paint. It only fuelled their lust for blood and pain.

Shadow roared towards his brothers and sisters, and they all broke away from the rampaging queen. The seven dragons and their two riders gathered together just above the cloud line and into a horizontal diamond formation, with Shadow in the lead, Midnight and Astrid in the rear, and the others spaced around them.

"KUN EK UP!" Shadow bellowed, and they dived. Wings tucked in close to their bodies, legs pressed flat and streamlined, tails unmoving as they let gravity take over. The Red Death was in sight, unaware of where they were. Her left flank was exposed to them. They were almost in range. That was when Hiccup heard something new.

He knew the Black Moons could use fire breath, but the cackling sound of lightning resonating through their chests with its distinctive sound, was unfamiliar to him. In front of him as he leaned forward in the saddle, he could see Shadow's mouth glowing with a bright purple light.

When they came within range, they fired, unleashing a storm of lightning down upon the Queen. She screeched as powerful jolts of shock trembled through her body and she fell. Hiccup expected her to at least land on her side, but the sheer force of the combined blows from the seven princes sent her rolling over onto her back, and onto her other side. Now, she was pissed!

The princes dispersed into the mist once more, cackling with glee as the Queen stood up, ready for the next round, and extended her massive wings. The gluttonous dragon launched herself into the air after the eldest prince, flying slow at first from all her years of immobility. But despite her massive form, she began to pick up speed. Nowhere near as fast as Shadow, but she was keeping him in her sights. Shadow flew just fast enough to stay out of her firing range, taunting her to follow him.

Meanwhile, the princes emerged from the mist, tightening formation around her. As they planned, Midnight and Astrid were the furthest from danger, not that it stopped the dragoness from attacking from behind. They made sure that the Queen wouldn't lag behind, and kept up speed. Dusk and Dawn flew right next to her, shoulder to shoulder, and despite their much smaller size, they barged her in the directions they wanted her to go. Sky flew right above the ridges on her back, shooting occasionally at her shoulders. The two remaining males had snuck underneath her belly, unnoticed and waiting.

The twins kept pushing her into sea stacks as they passed them, slamming her head first into the obstacles, but the Queen only had eyes for Shadow and Hiccup. She knew exactly who the leader was. And as for the boy who rode him, if she could at least kill him, it might cripple the drake emotionally as well as physically.

Once they reached the edges of the sea stacks, Shadow pumped his wings harder and harder, reaching for the darkened clouds hundreds of meters above them. Up and up he climbed, with Hiccup clinging to the saddle for dear life. He was terrified, but so exhilarated at the same time. So this is what it felt like to fly into battle.

When Sky gave the signal, Ghost and Storm attacked the Red Death's belly, hitting the already wounded areas over and over again, driving her upwards. The Queen was forced to go where they wanted, right into the dark storm clouds. But once they were immersed in them, the princes vanished.

All was silent in the darkened sky, the princes nowhere to be seen. With the Queen's damaged eyes and the thick storm clouds, she was practically blind, whereas the princes could see perfectly well. The dark was their domain. The Red Death searched and searched, but she couldn't spot them anywhere. Her nose was filled with the scent of her own blood, and the dragons were such silent fliers that not even a whisper of wind gave them away.

Then, out of nowhere, they struck. The Red Death screamed. Thunderous lightning strikes hit her wings, blowing gaping holes in them, and tail blades slashed at the tendons ad muscles in her wings. The wounds on her throat were hit too, so fast that she could never retaliate. They struck within seconds of each other, too fast for her to realise where one was. In anger, she loosed a fury of flame in all directions, hoping to catch one off guard and burn them, but she couldn't even tell if she hit one. The gaping wounds at her neck ensured that they heard her readying the blast.

Shadow smirked, hidden in the clouds as the Queen exhausted herself. It was time for their final move. So with a ferocious and animalistic roar, Shadow went for her head. She saw him coming and snapped her gargantuan jaws when he got too close, missing by a hairsbreadth. This time, she didn't wait around for him to slip back into the shadows, and she followed him in a deep decent. Out of the clouds, the other princes emerged, boxing her in. even if she wanted to, she couldn't move from that downward dive.

Down and down they fell towards the earth at breakneck speeds, with Shadow in the lead, drawing her down, egging her on to finish him off. Hiccup astride the drake, his heart beating like a war drum in his chest. With the wind rushing by their ears, it was almost impossible for them to hear her readying one final fire blast to end them. Shadow didn't hear it, but Hiccup did.

Before she could fire, Hiccup jerked the reins and swung his body around. The unexpected move made Shadow falter, but in a split second, he saw the gathering gas in her maw, and ignited it in her throat. The great dragon gagged at the flames burning her insides.

She panicked when she saw the earth rushing up to meet her in her headfirst dive. Her wings wouldn't pull up and slow her fall – the tendons were slashed! She couldn't pull up in time! She was going to crash!

Hiccup and Shadow – as well as all the other princes – extended their wings like parachutes moments before the impact. As the Red Death burst into flames, their wings gathered the hot air and lifted them above the burning mass. Below them, her massive body combusted with the impact, destroying her in a fury of flames.

Shadow roared in triumph and victory, and the other princes followed suit. Even Hiccup roared at their achievement.

Sometime later, the Black Moons landed near the burning carcass, heads held high in victory. "Voth daar krongrah, un junaar fent grow. Nid brod fen challenge mu mindin fin jud dinok." Boasted Shadow. The drake walked right up through the flames to the burning head of the Red Death. With his powerful claws and strong muscle, he grabbed onto one of her crown scales, and yanked it out as a trophy.

No one would challenge them. No one would doubt their power. No one would dare stand against them after this show of strength, Hiccup thought. But the more he thought about that, the more something wormed into his mind. What would Berk think of this victory? They were stubborn, he knew, so maybe they would be foolish enough to still stand against them, even after this show of strength. And what of Stoick, he still wanted Shadow dead, and a victory like this wouldn't deter him from coming after them.

Suddenly, Hiccup had an idea. An idea to solve the problem, and hopefully get Berk to side with them, and understand what they were capable of.

"Hey Shadow! I have an idea for something. Do you still have that paper and ink in your saddlebag?"

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Come on princes! Put on your war paint!

Light her up!

With this victory, our kingdom shall grow. No clan will challenge us after the Queens death.


	9. Chapter 9

hey everyone, another chapter! it has finally gotten to the part where Astrid's usefulness is brought into play. a lot of you were wondering ages ago what purpose she would serve, well, after this chapter, I hope things will become clearer. I really dont have anything else to say in this A/N, so lets get on with the show.

and thankyou again everyone who reviewed! you guys are awesome.

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It was getting late when Fishlegs started to head home. Dragon Training had been going for longer hours ever since Astrid was abducted, since Stoick wanted all the teens to be able to fight off these newly appearing beasts. Being the nerd he was, he was elated to be close to a dragon to study it… he just wasn't overly fond of the idea of being locked in a large cage with an angry one. But anyway, at least he was learning to last longer in the arena.

Ever since that fateful day, Stoick had demanded that training be increased in both time and ferocity. After the events known as 'Hiccup's betrayal', the chief had become enraged, attempting to hunt down the great black beast. Fishlegs was both in awe at this new creature, and absolutely terrified of it. He half hoped that the chief and his warriors would find it, only so he could study it and learn of it, but at the same time, he hoped that they never crossed paths with one and suffered its fury.

Hiccup's betrayal had hit hard. Not only did he effectively denounce his claim on Berk's throne, and run away with a handsome young man, but that young man also happened to be a gargantuan and terrifying black dragon in disguise. Astrid's abduction had been just as bad, if not worse. She had been one of Berk's strongest fighters, on her way to winning Dragon Training, and since Hiccup's departure, a candidate for the Chiefdom of Berk. Now she was gone. It had hit the entire village hard, knowing that they really couldn't stand up against those monsters.

Oh how he hoped they were safe. He knew it was probably a fleeting hope, but Fishlegs truly wished they were alive and well. And if they were dead, he hoped that they had died as painlessly as possible.

And despite the appearance of a new dragon species, one with such incredible untapped power and abilities, he wished that they had never shown up in the first place. Stoick hadn't been the same since Hiccup left, and after Astrid was taken, things had only gotten worse. The village was being divided. Most of the warriors wanted to hunt down the vicious beasts and kill them all – Fishlegs doubted they would succeed though – whereas the other half of the village wanted to find a new place to live to make sure that the black dragons didn't find them and take anyone else. It was such a mess. The village was falling apart, one of the best young warriors had been taken and possibly killed – or worse – and the previous heir had scorned his father and left with the dragons. And to top it all off, the only candidate left for the chiefdom was Snotlout.

As Fishlegs wandered towards the town square, he wondered if things would get any worse.

The roar of the dragons in the distance confirmed that yes, things could get worse…

The village reacted almost instantly, going for weapons and rushing towards the catapults. Screams and shouts echoed throughout the village as Berk worked itself into a battle frenzy. But once the villagers got a good look at their opponents, panic ensued. It was the black beasts again! Not just one like the first time they ever showed up… not two or even three, not even the six that arrived for scarcely a few minutes before leaving… but all seven of them.

And as they flew past the heaving great torches to light the night sky, Fishlegs could see that they were different from before. They were the same dragons alright, but armoured. Battle ready as the villagers panicked below them.

And sitting astride the largest male, was Hiccup. Or who he assumed to be Hiccup. He was clad in thick riding leathers, perched in the saddle like a jockey riding a horse in a race, while his mount flew and dived and roared throughout the village. Fishlegs couldn't see his face, as it was covered in a full face helmet, spiked with six iron horns like that of the dragons.

The rider looked almost as monstrous as the creature that sparked the entire problem. He had the same horns as the winged male that appeared from Stoick's house the night Hiccup had disappeared.

But as the pair dived and pulled up again away from the village, Fishlegs could see another. Another rider, clad in similar garb, but tight against her form. Definitely female, astride one of the larger dragonesses. They both looked ready for a fight.

But despite their fear inducing presence, they had yet to attack. Not one fire blast was loosed on the village, not one swipe of their deadly tail of crunch of their powerful jaws. No, they were… taunting.

When Stoick made his appearance in the town square, armed with his shield and battle axe, the black dragons and their two riders seemed to excite. Finally, the larger drake, with the male looking human rider hovered above the village, just out of reach. Their twin gazes bore down on the chief and his gathering warriors.

"Chief Stoick the Vast! The Seven Black Moon Princes seek an audience with you!" the rider shouted. Stoick brandished his weapon at the rider and his mount.

"You will have no audience with me, demon scum! Either crawl back into whatever pit of hell you came from, or fight us and die!" yelled the chief.

"Ha! Hell itself couldn't contain the Black Moon Hordes! And as for your other option… we have not come to fight, despite being armoured and ready for war. We have just returned from a battle, victorious against our enemy, and thought to inform you of our achievement."

"The only thing this village cares about to do with your kind is your eradication!" Stoick spat at the rider.

The man on the dragons back lifted his hands to the helmet and undid the clasp, pulling it off his head and revealing his identity. It was Hiccup. Perfectly human and unaltered, very much unlike what the village had witnessed the day he left on the back of the great black beast.

"The Black Moon high counsel have plans for peace and prosperity between our clans. If you were smart Stoick, you would hear us out!"

The entire village seemed to freeze as they watched the exchange, frozen completely as Stoick looked up at his former son. He looked furious, but also curious at what was being said.

"Proceed then." He bellowed.

Without a word of warning, Hiccup's mount landed heavily in the centre of the town square, their escort landing close by on the tops of buildings. The other mounted rider and her dragon landed close by to the lead male. Never breaking eye contact, Hiccup dismounted from the saddle and took a few steps away from the dragon and towards his father.

"We bring news from the dragon nest at Helheim's gate. The tyrannical ruler of the mountain, the Red Death, who commanded her subjects to raid your village, is dead. Slain I combat by the Seven Princes. The dragons under her command have either fled, or sworn allegiance to us. They will no longer raid Berk for food."

Murmurs of disbelief ran through the crowd. The queen was dead. There would be no more raids. The dragons were gone.

"The Queen's territory has been merged with our own. The princes have claimed it as part of their hunting grounds. Not yet including the lands and waters surrounding Berk. This is why we come to you Stoick. To merge and overlap our territory with yours."

The murmurs got louder and louder. The villagers became restless, wondering what was to happen. Now, Hiccup turned back to the massive dragon, and pulled something out of the saddlebag.

"We wish to give you three things. A gift. A letter… And an ultimatum." Said Hiccup calmly. The drake then turned to the larger dragoness – the one with the rider – and jerked his head towards Stoick. The dragoness prowled down from her seat on top of someone's house, and stood right next to the drake. The rider dismounted and removed the helmet. It was Astrid. Somewhere in the crowd, the Hofferson's wailed with elation at the sight of their daughter alive and well.

Hiccup strode up to Astrid and handed her a sealed envelope, before turning back to Stoick. "A gift, to show that we are not merciless killers, and take care of those under our wing." He gave Astrid a slight nudge against her back and urged her to go to Stoick. She looked almost sad to leave the dragon's side. As she walked through the town square to the chief, Hiccup spoke again.

"A letter, outlining plans for a treaty. And information regarding our plans to grow our kingdom."

Astrid stood before the chief, and handed him the letter, before walking off to the side where her parents were.

Now, Hiccup's eyes turned cold, and started to glow with a silver light. In his hands was the ultimatum, wrapped up in a large piece of fabric. He unwrapped it. It was a scale. An enormous scale. Slightly burnt and bloody, but tinged with a natural greenish-blue colour. It had to be about the size of a dinner plate, or larger.

"And finally, the ultimatum. A crown scale from the head of our enemy, taken as a trophy to show our strength." The dragon must have been the size of a mountain for its scales to be that size! Could such a dragon even exist? And did they truly kill it?

Hiccup bared his claws, and slashed them through the scale, gorging four deep lines through it, with the strength of an axe blade. He then tossed it carelessly at the feet of Stoick the vast. "An ultimatum, so that you understand the sheer power we have, and what we can accomplish with that power. Let that help you decide where you stand with us. We do not wish to forcibly take over your territory, but we will if necessary."

He then turned his back on Berk's chief and slid his foot into the stirrup of the saddle, lifting himself up onto the dragons back. But he didn't leave just yet. "Astrid has been instructed to tell you everything that happened while she was with us at Dead Mountain. She will hide no secrets from you, and answer every question you ask… And when you've decided whether or not you stand with us, let her know. She knows how to contact us. Astrid will always be welcome at Dead Mountain as our guest. Until then, sky guard you."

And with that, he slapped the reins against the dragons neck, and the beast launched itself into the air, with the other six following it. They circled around the village once, before heading north and not looking back. Astrid watched them leave, sorrow and longing in her eyes.

Stoick looked to the darkening sky where the dragons had all but disappeared, then at the letter in his hand, Astrid standing off to the side, and the scale at his feet. He then turned around and stormed towards the great hall, calling an emergency meeting. Astrid reluctantly followed, but Fishlegs stayed behind.

He walked over to the scale, the ultimatum, and picked it up out of the dirt. It was enormous! The dragon it came from had to be at least the size of a small mountain. And there could be no doubt, that if Berk's warriors had come across it on one of their voyages, they would not have survived. But those dragons did. They must surely be powerful.

And what of Hiccup? He had used his own nails, his own claws, to scratch his mark into that scale. Nothing short of a sword would mark that scale, but Hiccup had marked it like it was a piece of bark.

The game had just changed...


	10. Chapter 10

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed my last chapter. bet most of you didnt see that coming did you. lol. Anyway, now you know Astrid's true purpose in the plans of the Princes. And now that she's back on Berk, but still supporting the Black Moons, she can begin to turn people away from Stoick and towards them. With her help on the inside, Berk will eventually ally themselves with the Dragons of Dead Mountain. And now that the queen is dead, and the princes have returned home, more Black Moons will come into play. I cant wait to get to those bits. but there is a minor thing that I want to adress, which you will read about in this chapter. You will know what I mean once youve read it, and there will be another note at the end.

And thankyou to everyone who sent a review. You guys keep me motivated to write more. However, just a heads up, I am about to start uni in a few short weeks, so I might not update as fast. Sorry in advance, but I will not neglect this fanfic, so dont worry about that.

Keep on smiling everyone!

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Every minute of the meeting as torture. After an hour of interrogations, Astrid was ready to leave. It was late, and she was very tired. Yet Stoick hadn't allowed her to take one moments rest, demanding that she tell them everything that happened since she was taken.

And as instructed, she told them everything: about how the six dragons had carried her to Dead Mountain, how it took two weeks to do so, and no, she couldn't tell them where about on a map their island was. She told them about meeting with the seventh – the eldest one – and how they reacted to each other. She told the village what they were – that they were princes, royalty. She told them about Shadow, Midnight, Dusk and Dawn, Ghost, Sky and Storm.

And when Stoick demanded she tell them about Shadow's relationship with Hiccup, she looked him dead in the eye and told them what she knew, and didn't feel regret for one moment when she told him that they made a good couple. The look on Stoick's face had been worth it.

She told them everything that happened, right down to the last detail until the early hours of the morning. What they didn't know, was that there was one thing she was sworn not to tell. One thing she lied about. She never told the village how and when the dragons changed their forms. It was the one demand that Shadow had made, that she keep that information a secret, and she kept it.

She was eventually allowed to leave and spend time with her family. Once they had gotten home, they had asked over and over if she was ok, if she was hurt, and what they did to her. She calmly told them exactly the same thing that she had told Stoick. She hadn't been touched. The Hoffersons were extremely glad to have their daughter back, and hoped she had no more dealings with those great black beasts ever again. Astrid refused to have them take away her flying leathers. They tried to take them, to rid the Black Moon's influence on her, but she hid the flight suit when they weren't looking.

And now, as the sun was rising the next day, she knelt on the floor of her bedroom, and pulled away the loose floorboard. Underneath was the space that she had hidden her flight suit. It hadn't even been twenty four hours, and already, she wanted to go back. She missed the princes and their banter. And she missed Hiccup, who over the month she had been with them, had become a good friend.

But Astrid knew of their plans to get Berk and the other clans to join them, she knew what roll she had to play. It didn't stop her from wishing it could be otherwise so she could be with them. She really missed Midnight especially.

There was a knock at her bedroom door, and Astrid quickly stuffed her flying leathers into their hiding place before answering. It was her mother. "Good morning sweetheart. Just came to see how you were doing after everything." She said.

"I'm fine mum, don't worry." She answered.

"That's good. You have no idea how much your father and I missed you when you were taken." She sighed. "Oh, Fishlegs is at the door. He asked if he could see you today. I think he wanted to ask you about what happened. I think it would be a good idea for you to have someone to talk to after everything you've seen."

Astrid gave her mother a nod and promised to be down soon to meet with him after she changed. Once she was back alone in her room, she smiled. The plan was working, and Hiccup had been right. With Fishlegs coming to talk to her about the Black Moon Princes, she could begin to convince others that siding with them was better than seeking war. If Fishlegs was willing to learn about these creatures apart from their killing power, she might just succeed in her part of their plans.

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Back at Dead Mountain, things had been stepped up a notch. With the defeat of the Red Death and the takeover of her territory, the Black Moon Princes were readying the mountain to receive the oncoming hordes of dragons. It was time to call them to their new home. Every day for a week, the seven princes had gathered in the dining hall and sang. Soothing songs that drew you in, that made you want to come to them. Hiccup couldn't help but be drawn by their voices, no matter how far away he was. He was lured by their call, just as all the other Black Moons would be.

They were expecting the dragons to begin arriving within the next two months, and they had to be ready. With all the other common types of dragons helping, production had increased tenfold and the princes barely had to do a thing. Hiccup had been constantly making adjustments to his flying leathers as well as the princes armour to pass the time since there was not much else to do at this point.

It had been some weeks now since Astrid had been left behind, and Hiccup was beginning to miss her company, but he kept reminding himself that at some point – hopefully soon – she would be able to come back to them. He had been sitting at the stone dining table in the main hall, musing over his fish dinner, when he started to tune into the princes conversations. Shadow and the twins had been busy for weeks teaching the other dragons under their protection how to map their islands, and so they weren't there. As of right now, Hiccup was more or less by himself.

Currently seated at the table were Midnight, ravenously digging into her food with nothing but her fingers, Storm, who was reading from a newfound book (how he got it way out here, Hiccup didn't know) Sky, who was sketching strange designs on a piece of parchment, and Ghost, who was meddling with unusual items in a small wooden box.

"Have you come up with anything yet Sky?" asked the tattooed drake as he rummaged through his box.

"Hmm, some designs I kinda like, but nothing confirmed yet. Still working on it. How about you?" asked the youngest female. Ghost grunted. "I've got all my tools and stuff ready for when you finally come up with something you like. But I don't want to wait around forever."

It was at this point that Hiccup turned his attention from the conversation to the box in front of Ghost. There were quite a lot of bottles inside, filled with dark liquid that looked like ink, as well as a bunch of different sized needles and a few other objects. There were even a few candles and a jar of salt.

Eventually, Hiccup's curiosity made him break his silence. He called Ghost's name to grab his attention, then asked what the items in the box were for. It was that moment that he saw the drake genuinely smile for the first time.

"Before I came here to join Shadow's court, I was a tattoo artist. I travelled all over the world, developing my skill and mastering my craft. Sky here wants to get her first tattoo, and is currently designing it."

"Wow, that's really cool. What kinds of tattoos do Black Moons usually get?" asked Hiccup.

"Well, a lot of males, especially warriors, get intricate patterns and swirls over their chests and shoulders for luck and glory on the battlefield. Some choose to get their life story tattooed on them in our ancient language, mostly on their arms and chest. I've done world maps, tally marks for number of kills, names of lovers, family crests… you name it, and I've probably done it."

Ghost then turned back to Sky as she exclaimed in glee at her finished design. He took a few moments to look it over and add in his own professional opinion. "I thought Shadow said you were an interrogator?" said Hiccup.

"Oh don't worry, I am. I just don't spend all my time doing it. This is more of a past-time and my hobby." Said Ghost.

"So how come I haven't seen any of the other princes with tattoos? You are the only one that's got one that I can see" Hiccup pointed to Ghost's inked face, the skull pattern circling his eyes and framing his face.

"I got my tattoos when I was fifteen, much to my father's displeasure. I had met an old man in a human war camp who did tattoos, and got him to do the skull for me. He then taught me some of his skill, and though my life I've kept up the skill.

"Our father, Armageddon, forbid all of us from getting tattoos. Said something about not wanting ink to cover our battle scars. This was my way of saying 'screw that'." He smirked while indicating his face.

"And now that we have our own court and are not trapped by our father's influence, most of us want to get tattoos, with Sky being the first one to ask. Since you are part of our court, maybe you should consider getting one. A physical mark to say that you are a part of our family." He suggested.

Hiccup smiled and nodded before settling back down with his food to think. Now that Ghost had brought it up, he realised that he was indeed part of their little family. And he too was no longer under the influence of his father. Maybe he should get a tattoo for himself. But what?

He sat there thinking for a very long time…

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Ehhhhhhh, so now I bet you have guessed what I mentioned in the first Authors Note. yes, the topic of tattoos. A lot of th characters in books i have read have tattoos, and I wanted to do it here as well. my desire for tattoos on my characters come from books such as 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone', 'Throne of Glass', and 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'. quite a few of the characters in those books have tattoos, respectively: tally marks for kills, life story in an ancient language, and swirly patterns for luck and glory on the battlefield.

Now, I want Hiccup to get a tattoo. Although, I've already decided what he will eventually get. But I want to hear your thoughts as well! I would love your input as to what the other princes should get (and maybe Hiccup as well if you like). Oh, and one more thing! BIG THING! I have a fantastic idea of how Hiccup will show Shadow his tattoo once its one, however, that will include nudity and most likely smut. if you are ok with this and want me to write it then let me know. if I get enough yeses then I will do it, if not, I will skip it entirely. it will include Male on male if I do write it (you have been warned), and it will be the first time I have ever published full on smut online. I know I can do it, but I am just a bit nervous about it.

But yea, gimme ideas for tattoos, and yes or no to future smut. cant wait to hear from you. Bye now!


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everyone, I'm back again! Miss me? I honestly cannot remember how long ago I updated, but I hope it hasnt been too long. Thanks for all your suggestions about the tattoo, I loved them. I cannot wait for you guys to see what the end result looks like.

Now, one other thing, NEW DRAGONS! New players in the game will be introduced as well a a bit of history. these dragons are known as the Snake Guard, the elite bodyguards of the princes, cuse without a bodyguard, what kind of court is this? intimidating drakes and dragonesses as well as a bit of fluff. Not much going on but it is important to know who they are cuse they come into play really soon. Next chapter will include a message from Astrid about the situation at Berk, which will further the plot. a few chapters from now, there will be a major (and deadly) evnt that occurs, and after that... the smut scene. lol. So far ive got three for and none against, so there will most likely be lots of smut. I'm still thinking about how exactly everything will happen cuse I've never written a scene like it before, especially with two males. (tips are welcome) Hopefully it will turn out good.

But yea, expect a bit of foul play and death related stuff before smut. lol. Enjoy this chapter!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed as well, you are awesome!

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It was just under a month later that the Black Moons began to arrive. The arrival of the first group sparked an excited frenzy within the princes as soon as the first roars were heard when they approached the mountain. The princes ran as fast as their human legs could carry them to the entrance hall of Dead Mountain, just as the new dragons arrived.

Hiccup, who had been chasing after Shadow as soon as he bolted, froze in awe at the sight of the new beasts. Each one looked different from the next and each deadly in their own way. As soon as Shadow had seen the new arrivals, he ran up to one of them and threw his arms around the dragon's neck, greeting him like an old friend.

And one by one as the other princes came, they each ran to one of the new arrivals to greet them. Very quickly, Hiccup was pulled over and introduced.

"Hiccup, meet the Snake Guard. A small team of deadly warriors dedicated to serving the Void-Wings and their bloodline. You won't find any finer guards or sentinels anywhere in the world." He said while grinning broadly. He indicated the dragon in front of him, a large male with flecks and stripes of bright green on his scales and large green eyes. "This is my personal guardian, and my old friend, Boomslang. My poison master."

Boomslang dipped his head in greeting and respect. Shadow then turned to his sister Midnight and her sentinel. "Midnight's guard is named Cobra. A court trained assassin, just like her." Cobra stood proud and strong when being introduced, and even puffed out his chest. Interestingly enough, when he did this, the edges of his neck seemed to expand, which made him look even larger. The cobra-like hood made him look terrifying, especially to someone as small as Hiccup.

"Dusk and Dawn's guards are Python and Taipan respectively. Ghost's sentinel is called Mamba, one of the fastest and deadliest of the group, and can be quite aggressive." As Hiccup got a good look at the twin's guardians, he could see that Python's scales were not entirely black, but more splotched in different patches of dark grey. He didn't appear to have the trademark long fangs, but he did look like he could squeeze the life out of his opponents instead.

Taipan on the other hand had the biggest set of fangs Hiccup had ever seen, far bigger than even Shadow's. And no doubt, the venom from one of his bites could kill very quickly. Both female sentinels looked like they shouldn't be messed with at all despite their younger age when compered to Shadow.

Mamba looked almost the same as Ghost in his dragon form, just without the markings. Mamba's scales were not black, but instead, a very dark grey, and his eyes were a deep soul-crushing black, along with the inside of his mouth.

"Viper is Sky's sentinel. She might look the opposite to Sky, but don't let that fool you. She may be young, but she is trained just as well as all the others." Indeed, the young Snake Guardian looked like Sky's complete opposite, being much stockier than the others.

"And finally, Storm's personal guard, Rattler." Rattler might have been one of the youngest members of the Snake Guard, but by the looks of him, he had seen more battles than any one of them. His two most noticeable features were his eyes and his tail blade. Rattler's eyes were cloudy and unseeing, but still moved around as if he could see just fine. Hiccup realised with a jolt that he was half blind in both eyes. But his tail blade, a Black Moon's most prized weapon, was broken, shattered. It was in pieces that stuck at odd angles. Every now and then, his tail twitched and the jagged pieces of his ruined tail jangled and rattled. Since he didn't say anything in greeting – other than rattling his tail – Shadow explained that he was also a mute.

It was certainly an odd and terrifying bunch of people – err… dragons. Some of them looked even deadlier than the princes they protected. They were pairs of killers, with one of them always in their dragon form.

In the days following their arrival, the snake named guardians could always be found near their respective prince, ready to defend at any notice. Hiccup used his time to study the new dragons, learning everything he could about them, and what gave them their individual characteristics. He learned that they were chosen as hatchlings to be the bodyguards of each prince, and specially trained to be unkillable. Not only were they as deadly as the princes when in their dragon forms, but they were also immune to every poison known in the world. They had to be trained to stop every assassination attempt on the princes lives, and were expected to lay down their lives in service.

Every snake guardian and prince had practically grown up together, so it was no surprise to see them close to each other. What was a surprise however, was how close Boomslang liked to get to Shadow. Hiccup was seated at the far end of the stone dining table, paper and drawings strewn around him haphazardly one night, when he saw the green tipped dragon approach the eldest prince.

It was appearing to be a normal mission brief or task completion summary, but then, out of the blue, Boomslang licked the side of Shadow's face. Now normally this wouldn't bother anyone, maybe look a little weird, but to a Black Moon, it was a clear sign of affection. And not in a 'we are friends for life and grew up together' kind of affection. No, that particular gesture was more angled to the 'we are lovers' side of things.

Boomslang shouldn't have done that. Shadow was taken! He was Hiccup's! Boomslang shouldn't have touched him.

Shadow immediately reacted to the sign of affection, by scolding his guardian. Hiccup had half expected the prince to return it with a lick of his own, but he was denying him. Hiccup's blood cooled when he saw Boomslang bow his head in apology.

Shadow had denied the drake, meaning he returned Hiccup's own affections. The fact that the eldest prince cared for him on this level, clearly stating that he belonged to someone else, made Hiccup's heart swell.

Later that night when Hiccup was in bed, thinking and possibly overthinking the event in the dining hall, he heard a knock outside his room. Shadow poked his head around the corner and gave him a small smile.

"Mind if I come in for a moment?" he asked.

"Yea sure."

Shadow slowly walked inside, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his favourite trench coat. He took a seat on the chair at Hiccup's stone desk, facing him as he lay there on his small nest of furs.

"I thought it would be a good idea," he said "to explain what happened in the dining hall with Boomslang. As soon as he licked me, I could hear you growling from across the table… I don't want you to be left in the dark as to why he did that."

Hiccup sat up on the edge of his bed, intently listening to the drake. "Were you two lovers?" he asked. There was more bite in his words than he intended. Shadow sighed and averted his eyes, staring at his feet.

"We were involved about four hundred years ago… before we were together, I had been going through a lot of stuff in my life. I was actually contemplating suicide for quite a while. Nothing I did to myself was enough to kill me, we are built way too tough. I thought that I might be able to find a poison strong enough to kill me, but the only ones who had access to things that powerful were my fathers poison master and his apprentice, Boomslang… I started hanging out with him, for the selfish reason of getting a hold of a lethal poison." Shadow took a deep breath and slowly let it out, calming himself.

"At first, all the attention I was giving him, all the flirting, was just to get close enough to get the poison. I never really intended for things to happen, but for some reason they did. Maybe he knew I wanted to kill myself, maybe he didn't… But the day I was going to use him to get the poison, was a really bad day for him. I shouldn't have even been in the area because he was in heat. As soon as he saw me, he jumped. A lot of… physical stuff happened between us, and because I was a lonely, selfish drake… I let it happen."

Shadow rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and shame. But he knew that he had to tell this story.

"It was more a physical relationship than anything, but he did try to get close to me emotionally after a while. By that time I was sure he knew about me wanting to kill myself, because we would always get physical when I thought about suicide. He tried to distract me from my thoughts until they eventually stopped. It was never a real or solid relationship, but it was one none-the-less, and for years he's always thought he had some claim over me… for what he did to help me."

Now Hiccup was able to understand why the Poison Master had licked Shadow possessively. He thought that after all this time he still had a claim, and didn't think that anyone else did.

Although, it was horrible to think that even Shadow, the eldest of the seven Black Moon Princes, had contemplated suicide. Hiccup could even wager a guess as to what would make him consider it, Armageddon Void-Wing. Shadow's father. He was still a key player.

"Boomslang now knows that he has no claim over me anymore, and won't touch me. He knows that I've chosen you, just as you have chosen me. He already apologised to me, and I want to apologise to you on his behalf."

Hiccup stood up out of his nest of furs and walked over to Shadow, who stood up to meet him. Hiccup wrapped his arms around the larger male and squeezed. "Thank you for telling me all this. And tell Boomslang that I forgive him."

Shadow wrapped his arms around Hiccup's smaller frame and hugged him back. The younger boy nuzzled his head against Shadow's chest, and the drake rested his head on top of his. They just stood there, holding one another for what felt like eternity.

 _He knows that I've chosen you, just as you have chosen me._

Nothing warmed Hiccup's heart more than to hear those words. That someone wanted him, and cared for him. Even after all this time of being with Shadow: from the day he decided to help him back on Berk, to the day they left together, to now, he still couldn't believe that someone like him had accepted him into his heart. And even more than that, had accepted into his family, and even into his own species.

It felt good to belong, and to feel wanted. Loved.

That was the moment Hiccup thought of the perfect tattoo to get, to show just how much he cared as well. A tattoo to show that he was a part of them, part of their family...


	12. Chapter 12

Hey everyone, sorry this took so long to write. I was struggling to find the right words to put on the two letters. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait, and just a heads up, now that I'm in uni, I might not get to update as fast as I like. I will not abandon the story, but other things are becoming more of a priority. If you keep sending reviews, I will keep finding time to write and update.

Now, a heads up for later chapters, things will not go well... Oh, and another thing, I want to go back to the issue of Hiccup and his untapped powers. Because Hiccup is such a special case, not a lot of his powers are known, even I havent got any idea of what he is capable of. What I do think tho, is that his powers will activate in situations of extreme stress. for those of you who have seen Deadpool, you might get the idea. So, lets say hypothetically, Hiccup is in a stressful situation and his powers activate... what kind of abilities do you think would be unlocked? I am open to suggestions at this point, and I know you guys really like the idea of Hiccup getting more Black Moon abilities. So what would you like to see happen?

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Hiccup was lounging around in the dining hall during lunch one day, sketching and drawing the Snake Guardians again, when a letter arrived from Astrid. He had been finishing the details of his drawing of Mamba – currently in his human form – when Viper strode in with an envelope in her hand.

"This just came in, attached to a red Terrible Terror. The little thing said it came from a place called Berk, sent by an 'Astrid'. Anyone know what this is about?" she asked. Hiccup shot his hand up in the air and called out. "Pass it here."

Viper chucked the envelope over and he caught it with his upright hand. Shadow waltzed though the door, decked out in his dragon form, and took his seat at the head of the table as Hiccup tore open the message to read it.

Inside the envelope were two pieces of parchment. A letter from Stoick to Shadow, and a letter from Astrid to the entire court. Hiccup grabbed the one from Stoick first and began reading it aloud to everyone.

"Greetings Shadow Void-Wing, Overlord of Dead Mountain and Prince of the Black Moon Dragons," Hiccup read aloud, cringing at the style of writing. "your actions this past year have left a profound affect upon the inhabitants of Berk, mostly negative. The kidnapping of my son Hiccup, and the abduction of Astrid Hofferson greatly affected the minds of the village inhabitants. And despite the return of Astrid, alive and well cared for, we have yet to see you in a positive light. You are dark creatures with dark intentions. And it has come to my attention that you planned to use Astrid as a representative of your court, letting her spill your secrets to us so that we may be able to understand you and your whims, and learn to trust you. Half of Berk wishes to side with you out of fear, whilst the other half wishes to fight you. As Chief, I cannot let my people suffer, at anyone's hands, especially yours.

"You are very strange creatures with your behaviour and intentions, and I would personally like to understand you and your wishes better so that my people don't suffer your wrath. Therefore, I would like to invite you to Berk for a diplomatic dinner to better understand you and your court. We are aware of the time it will take to this message to be delivered, as well as travel time, so we have scheduled the dinner to be in a month and a half's time. When you do arrive, send one of your warriors as a messenger three days ahead to let us know you are arriving.

"I sincerely hope we can understand each other, learn your intentions and future plans, and find a way for cohabitation and peace to be a possibility. Kind regards, Chief Stoick the Vast of Berk."

Hiccup dropped the letter on the stone tabletop and looked to the other dragons, each lost in thought. Taipan spoke up from her seat next to Dawn. "Well that had a lot of waffle in it. Seemed very formal, to the point where he's trying to use words out of his vocabulary."

"He obviously doesn't like us, and hasn't approved of the court's actions in this region." Said Python.

"It sounds to me as if he's trying on behalf of his village to side with us, even though he has made it quite clear that he doesn't like any of us. This dinner is probably just to make the villagers happy. I smell a trap." Said Mamba.

The princes began conversing in their strange language about what the letter could mean, and what plans the chief might have. Hiccup – who was still learning to master the language – was trying to keep up with multiple conversations in two different languages.

"What do you think of all this Hiccup?" asked one of the Snake Guard. Hiccup looked up from the letter in front of him and thought. "I think this is a genuine desire for peace, despite Stoick's hatred of us. I remember a few years ago when the yearly signing of a treaty with the Berserkers came around, and the dead chief's deranged son had taken the throne. Stoick made a genuine effort to have Dagur sign the treaty, despite the fact that he's not the most mentally stable person in the world. It was bound to go bad and a lot of people didn't want the treaty to happen because of Dagur, but they managed to work it out. I think that this letter and desire for peace is a similar case. We should be on our guard, but not squander this opportunity."

The princes thought over his words for a few minutes more, weighing the words in the letter against their own thoughts. Eventually, the conversations died down and they looked back to Hiccup, who had yet to read the second letter. He quickly cleared his throat and read aloud.

"Dear Shadow and Family, I hope this letter gets to you quick and isn't intercepted before it reaches you. Some of the villagers are still weary of me and my affiliations with you, which is making things a little tricky here.

I've been slowly getting the villagers to side with you and not against you, convincing them that they have more to gain from an alliance instead of war. Although some still think that war is the better option and want nothing to do with you. The village is in turmoil with no one being sure what to believe. Stoick is by far the worst off, he hates all of you simply because you took Hiccup from him. I'd say its more male pride than anything since during the 'incident' he was shown to be weaker man, and he hates the fact that Hiccup chose to leave of his own free will, despite everything that happened to him.

I'm close to converting over half the village to your cause and have swayed the minds of half the council members, but its not enough to make a large difference right now. I suggested to the council that meeting you face to face and discussing things like civilised men – no offence to anyone – maybe it would help convince the villagers to side with you and form an alliance. Not to mention get Stoick to stop being so cold hearted.

I hope this idea is a step towards progress and not a potential shitstorm waiting to happen. Although, if you do decide to come, just be wary of some of the council members and Stoick himself. They might consider playing dirty.

With regards, Astrid."

The Black Moons thought for a moment about this new information. With half the village willing to form an alliance, they could all benefit. Trade routes could be established, soldiers and sentries could be stationed at surrounding islands in case of attacks… but as was the issue with most human councils, they needed the majority of votes to make a difference. Perhaps it was a good idea to go and meet with Berk's council.

The dragons and princes continued to weigh the situation, arguing and debating every point. Cobra spoke up from his seat next to Midnight. The dragon assassin's opinion had quite a lot of sway within the group, especially because of his training in court warfare.

"I believe the gains far outweigh the risks. Despite the tip from Astrid about foul play, it would be better if we went and spoke with them." He turned towards Shadow now. "I heard from the other princes about what happened when you first arrived in the region. How you got caught under the influence of the Queen's call. The villagers saw how much damage one of us can do, and they know that there are at least seven of you – not counting the Snake Guard. They wouldn't risk an attempt on our lives with those numbers, its suicide. And with the Snake Guard there as an escort, that number doubles. They'd be stark-raving mad to try anything with seven princes and their bodyguards in the one room. Our presence alone should deter any foul play." He said calmly.

Shadow mused over his words before nodding. It was decided, they would go. After a bit of organising, it was decided that they would leave after the next new noon, when the Snake Guardians would be in their strongest form, and the princes in human form – so there would be no language barrier. They also had some other issues to deal with that had top priority. Black Moons were flocking in every day, and things had to be arranged before Dead Mountain's leaders could leave on an extended trip.

After everything was arranged and decided, the princes and Snake Guardians dispersed, going back to their daily duties. Hiccup packed up his equipment and discretely followed Ghost and Mamba as they walked down the tunnels. Shadow watched with curiosity, but soon went off on his own. Unknown to the eldest prince, Hiccup was off to get his first ever tattoo.

Hiccup knew exactly what he wanted and had organised with Ghost to get it started. He wanted it to be a surprise for Shadow once it was done. So, without drawing too much attention to himself, Hiccup followed the drakes down the torch-lit tunnels to Ghost's workroom…


	13. Chapter 13

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO I have been wanting to write this scene for ages. I got really excited writing it and couldnt wit to share it with you. Unlucky 13. Lots of stuff is going to happen in this chapter! Im sure you guys will love it. And dont kill me for the cliffhanger I've left it on. Gods, I dont even know what to say right now, I just really want you guys to read this.

Intimate stuff will be coming up soon, but not so soon, first you have to deal with all this! I'm still working out what to write in that intimate scene, so pointers are helpful. I hope you all enjoy this chapter despite all the shit that goes down.

I really want to hear reviews on this, so please! REVIEW!

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Once the next new moon came around, the princes and their guardians were anxious and excited to leave. The meeting with Berk would be held in just over two weeks time, and now they were ready to go. The Snake Guardians were decked out in their dragon forms, armoured and saddled, ready for the trip. Whereas the Princes were in their human forms, prepared for the meeting with Berk's council. It would be a long trip down there and back again, so each prince had to pack a bag of supplies and hook it onto their guardians saddle. Hiccup had been working hard this last month, employing the help of the other Black Moons taking residence in Dead Mountain, so now there were enough saddles for all of them.

As they gathered in the cavernous room at the top of the mountain, the guardians were saddled. They now had volunteer stable hands for events such as this. Shadow was planning on making the final leg of the journey himself, to show off his power and ability to transform at will, but for now, he would ride on Boomslang's back along with Hiccup.

Once the final checks were done, Shadow gave the signal to fly, by slapping the reins down on Boomslang's neck and urging him forward. Behind them, the human-looking princes did the same, and they flew out of the mountain and into the morning sun.

The wind was frigid due to the coming of winter, but Hiccup's flying leathers and Shadow's body heat kept him warm. All of the princes wore warm clothing, since Hiccup hadn't had enough time to make more flight suits. Wool garments and coats were the preferred choice of clothing.

They flew over the freezing ocean for days on end, stopping frequently but flying fast. They didn't want to be late. They were about three days from Berk's shores when they decided to stop at a large, mountainous island. They hadn't gone through the Storm Barrier yet, the border to Berk's territory, but they decided it was safer to stop now and rest. It was just bordering dusk when they landed and made camp near the beach on the south side. They would send Storm and Rattler on ahead to announce their arrival at midday tomorrow. Until then, they feasted on wild boar and fish, warmed by the bonfire and gazing up at the stars.

"I think this might be a good spot for an outpost." Said Shadow half to himself. Hiccup looked up from cleaning his plate and looked at the drake. The black clad prince was gazing up at the mountain and cliffs surrounding them. "The island is outside anyone elses borders, and on the fringes of ours. It's a prime location and easily defendable. We could use it as a trade port or an army base."

Hiccup hummed in agreement and sat down on his bedroll. Shadow turned and sat down on the grass next to him, letting their arms touch. The drake's silver gaze linked with Hiccup's filled with deep emotion and concern.

"Are you going to be ok, seeing Stoick again?" he asked. Hiccup sighed and dropped his head, but nodded determinedly. "I know I can face him. He isn't my father anymore, so I wont feel any remorse or regret for leaving. I just don't know if I can deal with his hatred."

"If you wish to sit the meeting out, I wont blame you. It may very well be extremely tense and awkward."

"No, its ok. It might finally give me closure over the whole incident when I left. I left on… less than bad terms. Maybe this meeting will allow me to reconcile for that at least."

The two males sat in peace after that, with Shadow's hand running up and down Hiccup's back. The younger boy trembled under the touch. Not only was it soothing, but it was stimulating. The hidden tattoo on his back was still very sensitive, and Shadow's touches ignited his delicate flesh with growing desire. Shadow didn't appear to know how much he was affecting the younger male and unconsciously stroked his back.

Hiccup's skin began to inflame, heat pooling all over his body as Shadow touched the brand new tattoo. His stomach flipped and his toes curled. Eventually he started purring from the attention, which Shadow finally noticed. He gave a lazy smile and reached over to grab his own bedroll, pulling it beside Hiccups'.

The drake then pushed Hiccup onto his back and lay next to him, slinging an arm under his head and over his waist. Hiccup curled into Shadow's warmth and nuzzled him, while the larger boy snuggled him close. Shadow's stroking arms began to touch more, trailing down his side to his thighs, and inching down his back. Every inch of tattooed skin the prince touched felt like blissful fire and ignited desire in Hiccup's belly. He kept arching into his touch, pushing his hips towards Shadow's hand as it dipped low, and arching his back and chest into Shadow's own body.

Soon, the older drake was purring in supressed desire, deeply affected by the mewls and growls of his bed mate. He didn't know why Hiccup was reacting so much – much more than usual – but he liked it. It had been far too long since they were intimate with each other. They never really had any time to themselves at Dead Mountain, especially when other dragons began arriving. But now, here under the stars, they had all the time in the world.

Shadow rubbed his nose against the skin of Hiccup's neck, feeling him shudder and gasp in growing pleasure. Meanwhile, Hiccup pulled himself even closer to the older male, feeling his entire body – firm and muscled – press up against him just wondrously.

"Soon. You have to be patient. We cant do anything here right now…" he whispered. Hiccup groaned in disappointment, but kept nuzzling him.

"I promise you Hiccup, that when we get back, I will have you in my arms. When we get back, you can have all of me, and I will have all of you." He purred.

"When I take you Hiccup… I'll make you scream… but you have to be patient right now, because I don't think my siblings want a front row seat of me claiming you."

Hiccup shivered at his words, but forced himself to settle down, and ignore the ache in his lower belly.

"Sleep now…"

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Three days later, once their arrival was announced, the Black Moon dragons flew with haste to the island of Berk. The princes were astride their respective guardians, except for Shadow himself, who planned to fly in on his own as a show of strength, and transform in front of everyone's eyes. Hiccup was astride him, decked out in his flying leathers, with one of Shadow's coats around his shoulders. The other princes wore similar outfits, clad in warm clothes and finery, and cloaked in nearly identical jackets. They looked fearsome.

In the distance, they could see Boomslang flying in lazy circles above the village. They had sent him on ahead to announce their arrival, since he no longer had a rider, and now, they could see he had done his job wonderfully. The villagers were scrambling to finish the last minute preparation, and the council members had gathered at the bottom of the stairs to the great hall.

The princes did a last minute check on themselves before flying in. Shadow was in the lead, and his brothers and sisters flew behind him, all on a perfect V formation. They circled above, before letting Boomslang direct them to the ground in the town square. In a flurry of wings, the black dragons descended.

All around them, the villagers waited in anticipation for what was to come. Hiccup was the first to dismount, followed by the other princes. They all straightened out their flight ruffled clothes, and he removed his horned helmet. Hiccup then turned and faced Stoick.

"Greetings. It is our great pleasure to meet with you on friendly terms." He said calmly. Stoick nodded, but his eyes were dark. Hiccup was undeterred, and introduced the princes. "Allow me to introduce the princes of Dead Mountain. Shadow Void-Wing, and his siblings, Midnight, Dusk, Dawn, Ghost, Sky and Storm. And their guardians, Boomslang, Cobra, Python, Taipan, Mamba, Viper and Rattler." Stoick looked at the fourteen dragons and princes, slightly intimidated but not showing it. Hiccup looked at Shadow and nodded, then the drake transformed.

Shadow's limbs morphed and reshaped, his tail and wings becoming liquid shadow and disappearing into his back, his horns retracting into his head as he turned into his human form. The villagers gaped and wailed in shock as he forced himself to change. Finally, Shadow stood there in his human form, all dark grace and beauty.

He stood clad in a pair of long, dark pants, a white undershirt and his leather trench coat. His leather boots hugged his calves and the belt around his waist helped to show off his lean figure. His pitch black hair was slicked back and immaculate and his skin was a light, smooth grey. He wore no crown, but his status as royalty was unquestionable.

His brothers and sisters looked extremely similar, clad in black and white. The females wore skirts and dresses, with leggings that hugged their legs and showed off their lean figures, but it didn't make them look any more feminine. The males wore crisp white undershirts like their elder brother, and similar coats.

Shadow strutted up to Stoick, as confident as can be, and gave him a toothy smile. "Thank you for inviting us to your village. I'm sure that we can later become allies."

Hiccup could almost feel the tension in the air. This was going to be awkward. Next thing they knew, they were being lead up the stairs to the Great Hall, princes closely followed by their guardians. Inside the Great Hall, a massive feast was splayed out on the gargantuan table. At least three wild boars were roasting over the massive fire, fat dripping off their glistening skins. Plates of mutton were everywhere, as well as pieces of chicken. Massive barrels and kegs of wine and mead were all over the room, with some tankards already been filled. There was enough food there to feed an army.

The Black Moon dragons were lead to one side of the table and given their seats. Shadow and Hiccup sat in the middle, right next to each other, much to Stoick's anger. Midnight was seated on Shadow's other side, as his first in command. The other princes sat in the seats along the edge of the table, with everyone's respective Snake Guardian standing watch behind them.

Stoick and his council sat at the other end of the table, much like the princes, just without personal bodyguards. All was tense for a very long moment. Finally, conversations started up, starting out very awkwardly before getting smoother. The council of Berk asked the Princes about their plans for the future, and what it would mean for Berk. Things were going… ok. That is, until the food was served.

The people of Berk seemed greatly offended every time the Snake Guardians came forward and tasted the food on their prince's plate. They were trained to check for poison to ensure the safety of their masters, much to the anger of everyone else. Every piece of meat was checked, every glass of wine, every morsel. The council glowered in anger.

And then… things got even worse. The discussion of a truce. And the conditions…

"In order for a truce to be negotiated, a few things need to be discussed. Specifically, the terms for this agreement. Something needs to be given up for things to be equal." Said Stoick, very calmly. "We respectfully ask that for this truce to work, you give us something to show that you are serious about being allies, and we in turn will give you something."

Shadow's eyes narrowed at his words. He could see the double meaning in Stoick's eyes. He wanted something, and was trying to back them in a corner with this truce.

Shadow's voice was laced with suspicion when he replied. "And what is it that you want from us?" Stoick's eyes narrowed, and he pointed to Hiccup.

"Hiccup will be returned to me, and have no more associations with you. Then we can think about a truce."

"Absolutely not!" Spat the drake.

Shadow stood up out of his chair, claws digging into the wood of the table as his eyes glowered with anger. "Hiccup chose to leave you and the village of his own free will, and will not be given to you like a piece of property!" he growled. "This is what you've been trying to get all along, isn't it? You're using this truce to try and back us up into a corner. Its not going to work! This truce was for your benefit more than ours! We can live perfectly well without humans, but you were meant to be the ones to gain from us. If you think I would hand Hiccup over as a bargaining chip, then you are more foolish than I thought."

Every one of the princes, and the Snake Guardians were openly snarling, seemingly closing in on themselves around the boy, who was wide eyed and slack jawed.

"You only want Hiccup because I took him from you. I took him away from an abusive household and a toxic group of people. He has been better cared for by me than anyone else. He is a part of my court, and an honorary member of my own family, and he will not be given back to the same group of people who abused him, to be some kind of… some kind of trophy, of your victory over us! Hiccup is his own person, unowned by anyone, even me, and he will not be handed over like a slave unless it is his choice."

With that, Shadow sat down in his chair and folded his arms, looking down at the Chief on the other end of the table.

"Now, unless there is a reasonable request from you to form this truce, I believe we have no further business with each other."

Stoick was fuming from across the table, his knuckles pure white from his rage. A few of the council members mirrored his anger. But instead of exploding like he normally would, he simply took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and sat back comfortably in his chair. His calm and quiet voice set warning bells off in Hiccup's head more than anything. This wasn't like his former father. Not at all.

"Very well, if a truce cannot be formed, then that is the will of fate. At least let us grace you with a glass of wine before you leave."

Hiccup couldn't understand why those quiet words made him feel so nervous. A group of serving girls came around with new glasses, setting one in front of each court member. Stoick and his council were given a glass first, then Shadow and his court.

A new keg was pulled out from behind a corner, which was thoroughly inspected by the Black Moon poison master before it was allowed to go anywhere near his lord.

The host's glasses were poured first, then the guests. Stoick drank deeply from his glass, his court following his lead a few moments after. If the wine was poisoned, it would have affected them by now, so, assuming it was safe to drink, Shadow took a sip. The six younger princes and Hiccup raised their glasses to their lips, about to follow his lead, before his urgent roar ripped though the air.

"WAIT!"

Shadow gagged and coughed. His skin flushed pure white in seconds. His veins popped out in swathes of deep purple, his eyes going bloodshot. He gasped and gagged, choked on whatever was in his throat. His claws grasped his neck, pulling and clawing at the skin. His body twitched and spasmed, before giving out underneath him.

Shadow crashed to the ground gasping in agony, clawing at his neck, eyes as wide as saucers as his body thrashed. He couldn't breathe, couldn't draw air into his lungs. His body wasn't responding. He was poisoned.

"SHADOW!"


	14. Chapter 14

Ok, i was so excited writing that last chapter that I couldnt stop myself from writing this one. I hope you all loved my last one, despite Shadow getting poisoned. Obviously, this chapter is about the aftermath and how they stop him from dying. there is also another little tidbit in here, about that high stress situation. remember when I mentioned that a little while ago? this is it. I hope you like how Hiccup is affected by all this (because it helps awaken his power) Im still figuring out his abilities tho... but yea, no one is going to be happy because of the stunt Stoick pulled. lets see how they will all get out of this alive, shall we?

Please leave a review!

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The Great Hall erupted into chaos. The princes screamed at the sight of their older brother thrashing on the floor, the guardians roared in anger at their hosts, and all the villagers were screaming in terror at what just happened.

None screamed louder than Hiccup. The sight of his partner, poisoned and thrashing around on the floor ripped an agonising wail from his throat, and his body locked up.

Shadow's human form was too weak.

Whatever poison was in that cup, it was too strong for him to combat. His body was already failing. He needed his dragon form to fight the poison. He needed the dragon. He needed the dragon. He needed the dragon!

His own body recognised the plea inside his mind, and responded in the most unexpected way, changing his own body into the form that Shadow so desperately needed. He roared and screamed in pain as his body morphed in response to his desperate pleas. His own skin darkened, scales erupting all over his body, claws extending out of his fingertips. His teeth lengthened into fangs, his eyes became silver, and a set of horns began to erupt out of the back of his head.

Hiccup couldn't stop screaming at the sight of Shadow on the floor, or from the pain in his own body, it just wouldn't stop! When his changing body finally slowed down to a stop, everything became clearer. He wasn't in his own mind anymore. This was the mind of a Black Moon. This was how they saw, in such clarity, this was how they thought, with such calculated cunning. He wasn't Hiccup anymore, he was more Black Moon than anything else, and that dragon in him, now brought up to the surface, responded to the horrors in front of him.

 _Stop the assassin!_

Hiccup turned to the man who used to be his father, who's eyes were locked with his, wide in fear at the sight of his former son. "GRAB HIM!" Hiccup roared. The princes and guardians charged.

The guardians rounded up everyone in the Great Hall, corralling them in one large group, whilst the princes charged right into the fray, pulling weapons out of nowhere like shadows in the wind. Warhammers, battle axes, swords and daggers appeared in the princes hands, ready to cut down anyone who made a bad move.

 _Save the prince!_

Hiccup screamed for Boomslang, who came rushing over in a flurry of claws and wings. The drake used whatever reserve of power he had to transform with a scream. By the time he slid in beside Shadow's thrashing form, the poison master was human.

Boomslang grabbed the cup from the floor and sniffed it, eyes widening. "The poison wasn't in the wine, it was on the cup. Its Black Moon venom, but its been corrupted." With a shudder, he realised. "This was the same type of poison he wanted to kill himself with."

Immediately, he set to work, exposing the princes neck to draw the poison out, while Hiccup held him down and held him still. Boomslang extended his fangs and sunk them deep into the artery in Shadow's neck, draining the poison and blood out of his body. Shadow's thrashing was getting weaker by the second. Hiccup didn't know whether it was from exhaustion and oncoming death, or because what Boomslang was doing was working. The poison master was looking worse by the second as he took in the poison himself. His skin was becoming pale, his veins popping out in a ghastly purple, his limbs trembling. At long last, Boomslang detached his fangs with a gasp, blood pooling in his mouth as he took large breaths.

 _Get an antidote in him._

"Come on Boomslang, he's not safe yet. We need to give him an antidote!" Hiccup begged. Boomslang nodded, even though he was already weak, and extended his jaw to reach the glands in the back of his throat. Boomslang quickly prepared his anti-venom glands to combat the poison. "I know I overstepped a boundary before, but don't kill me for this." Before Hiccup could react, Boomslang put his mouth right over Shadow's and forced him to ingest the anti-venom. No other way would have worked, it had to be taken the same way the poison was.

Agonizingly long minutes passed, and no change was occurring. The other princes and guardians were still snapping and snarling like enraged beasts. They wanted to fight, maim, kill.

Finally, there was change. Shadow gasped, drawing much needed air into his lungs, but his breaths were weak, his chest barely rising. Boomslang was out for the count, unable to continue. He had taken on the poison himself, and used up all his stores of anti-venom to save his prince. He wouldn't die from the poison, but he couldn't be of any more help now.

"Hiccup… you need to… give him… your blood." He gasped, struggling to stay conscious. "… He needs more blood… ... Yours…"

Hiccup didn't waste a second, bringing his clawed and scaled limb to his mouth, and sinking his fangs into his own flesh, letting the pure black blood flow freely from the wound. He brought it to Shadow's mouth and forced him to drink.

Shadow latched on and didn't let go, knowing within the deepest part of his mind that this liquid flowing into his mouth would save him. He drank and drank the life giving liquid until he could no longer feel the pull of death. Finally, he gasped and opened his eyes. He could breathe again!

Hiccup was there, looking more monstrous than ever before, with fangs spilling out over his lips, darkened hair half covering his face, ashen grey skin and scales all over. And _horns!_ Hiccup had horns!

If he didn't just feel Death's grip on his heart loosen, he could have sworn that this dark angel was the one meant to take his soul to oblivion. But the dark angel didn't tell him to sleep, he told him to wake up. To get up.

Slowly, Shadow managed to sit up, and then stand, leaning against the gargantuan table. There was Boomslang, on the floor and in pain, clutching his stomach. There were his brothers and sisters, enraged and brandishing their ebony weapons. And Stoick, the man who poisoned him! The Chief was gaping in shock at the sight of the eldest prince standing, instead of being in his death throws and convulsing on the floor.

"You!" the prince bellowed. "HOW DARE YOU?!" he nearly tripped and had to grab the table with both hands. "You invite us into your home, and you do THIS? You try and take Hiccup from me, and then _poison me_?!"

The princes and guardians snarled with anger and hatred, wanting desperately to tear them apart for harming their prince.

"I thought you had more honour than this… Destroy the village! Tear apart their homes! Eat their livestock! Kill everyone! BURN THE VILLAGE TO THE GROUND AND SCATTER THE ASHES!"

The villagers screamed and wailed in horror and fear, while the dragons surrounding them grinned with malicious intent, closing in on them with snarling mouths and dripping fangs.

Astrid made a run for it, dodging the claws of Mamba and sprinting for her life. But she didn't run towards the exit, rather, she ran right into the claws of Shadow Void-Wing.

"NO DON'T!" she screamed. "The village had nothing to do with this! It was all Stoick!" Shadow's eyes, edged in glowing red, sneered down at her.

"Please, the village wanted peace. Stoick wanted revenge, but we all wanted peace. Please, no one knew of his plans."

"And why should I believe you?" snarled the angry drake.

"I was the one who poured your drink. If I had known it was poisoned, I would have drank it myself before you got it. I'm on your side - we are all on your side. Please… don't harm the village for the actions of one man…" she begged.

The villagers and dragons waited with baited breath for the eldest prince to say something, to give the order for their destruction, or to spare them. Shadow crossed his arms, and pointed to the ground.

"Beg… and I'll consider not destroying the village." He said with a deathly calm. Astrid immediately dropped to her knees and bowed her head towards the floor. Shadow's eyes flicked over to the villagers, and they all did the same, dropping to their knees and gazing at the floor.

The drake slowly strode over to Stoick, the man who poisoned him, the man who tried to take Hiccup from him, and pointed to the ground.

"You too… Beg."

When he hesitated, Midnight came around behind him and hit the back of his legs with her broadsword. Stoick collapsed to his knees.

"Beg at my feet…" demanded Shadow.

Stoick and the dragon prince locked eyes, before he submitted, and bowed his head.

"Lower…"

Stoick then bowed lower, pressing his forehead to the cold stone floor. Shadow's foot pressed into his back and pushed him lower to the ground, digging his face into the dirt as if he was nothing but a rock. Shadow hummed in approval.

The drake then reached down and pulled Stoick's horned helmet off his head, and snapped it into pieces, crushing the steel in his hands like paper. And just like that, he turned and left towards the massive doors of the great hall, calling his brethren to his side. They all mounted up, some sitting in pairs, and blasted the door open with a wall of crimson fire, then took to the skies. Never to return again…


	15. Chapter 15

Holy Shit that took a long time to write. Dont worry everyone, I'm not dead. I've just been focusing on four assignments for the last few weeks, and having to work on this off to the side. This took a lot longer to write than I thought it would, and is twice as long as a normal chapter. Wow. I'm actually surprised with myself. But he, that means a treat for you! After all this time writing, hopefully I have come up with something you all like. the long awaited smut scene. now I really really really need reviews, cuse if I'm ever going to write something like this again, I need to know how to make it better.

So, again, sorry for the very long wait, I have like three assignments due tomorrow that im not entirely finished yet, and uni to worry about after that. updates may take linger than normal, but reviews keep me going. And i was seriously hoping for more reviews on the last two chapters. I was really looking forward to posting those but I havent got much feedback at all. (thanks to those of you who did review)

Ok, you know the drill, follow, favourite and review my story if you already havent. And I hope you dont mind MxM smut, cuse thats whats coming up. If you dont like, then just read the first and last sections. After this, we will be going back to Astrid's POV and see what kind of damage Stoick's little assassination stunt caused.

ENJOY!

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Once again, the drakes and dragonesses were in the dining hall at Dead Mountain, lounging around in their chairs, while they thought about all that happened. Boomslang had only just recovered from taking on the poison yesterday, and Hiccup was still in that strange form from when he saw Shadow collapse. Shadow was sulking in his room.

No wait, that wasn't accurate. Black Moons don't sulk… they brood.

That's right, Shadow had been brooding in his room for days now, and nothing seemed to be helping the situation. He was deeply upset by what happened. The attempt on his life. Boomslang having to suffer for him. Hiccup having to watch as it all happened. It hurt Shadow.

He had been distancing himself from everyone, and the dragons thought that it was time to get him back. So there they were, trying to come up with ideas in the dining room.

They were all out of ideas within half an hour, rubbing their temples from the oncoming headaches. Storm quickly got up to get them some ice, returning with a block for each of them after a few minutes. Hiccup shook his head when he was offered one.

"Well we can't just let him mope for days on end. He's the figurehead of progress here, the eldest of the princes. He's more important and influential than all of us, and we need him back." Said Dusk.

"The shock of everything has deeply affected him. We cant just expect him to bounce back quickly after all that. Remember who our father is and what he has done… Shadow hasn't yet recovered from some of those things. Expecting him to be just fine and happy after this within days isn't going to happen." Dawn replied.

"Perhaps a distraction would be necessary. Something to direct his mind away from the event, even just temporarily." Suggested Viper.

"What would be a great enough distraction for the eldest prince? It's not like we can give him a new toy to play with. He's not a hatchling." Said Mamba.

Midnight hummed thoughtfully from her seat at the table. Everyone looked to her, as she was now head of the Black Moon hordes until Shadow returned.

"Perhaps a toy to play with is exactly what he needs. And I'm not talking about bouncing balls or puffball sheep. He is an almost fully grown drake after all. But you forget, there are _other_ toys for adults to play with." Everyone's eyes lit up in shock, all except Hiccup who had no idea what was going on.

"You want to distract him in _that way_? Truth be told, sister, I didn't expect you to think of that." Said one of the elder princes. Everyone else at the table was humming in thought at how well the plan could work.

Hiccup was still in the dark… the poor naïve thing.

The princes bantered back and forth, with Hiccup struggling to keep up with everything being said. Stupid language barrier. Just as he was about to yell for their attention and demand things to be explained, Rattler spoke up.

Well, he didn't speak perse, more like hiss and rattle the broken shards of his tail. The other princes fell silent at the damaged dragons sounds, his unique form of speech. As soon as the clicking and the rattling stopped, the blind drake turned his milky eyes towards Hiccup. The others followed suit.

"What are you all looking at me for?"

…

(Smut further in this section) (If you dont like smut, Id recommend you read just a bit into it to learn about Hiccup's tattoos)

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An hour later after many awkward talks and courage gathering, Hiccup slowly walked towards Shadow's room. Gods he was nervous. He knew what he was going to do, and he really wanted to, but now that he was here, he was unsure. He wanted this, has wanted it for a while, but was he ready?

Hiccup shook his head to get rid of those bad thoughts. He had the blood of a Black Moon in his veins, he could do this. So with a deep, calming breath to settle his nerves, he walked right up to the entrance to Shadow's room and knocked on the heavy hardwood door. Inside the room, Shadow grumbled and asked to be left alone.

"Its Hiccup. Can I come in?" he asked quietly. He knew the drake could hear. After a moment he was given permission and entered, calming his frayed nerves again.

There was Shadow, curled up pathetically in his enormous bed at the back of the room, looking dejected and sad. He was in his half form at the moment, with his tail coiled around his body and his wings covering him like a blanket, his horns hidden by his dishevelled hair. The room itself was enormous, built to house Shadow in his dragon form, with a gargantuan crater lined with furs and blankets as a bed, a pool of water almost big enough to bath a dragon, and a new desk off to one side next to the shelves carved into the rock. But as of now, Shadow looked too small for a room so big. He looked small, and weak. Not how a leader should be.

Shadow sat up straight and smiled at Hiccup, even though the light didn't reach his eyes. He really was happy to see Hiccup, he just didn't feel all that good at the moment. Although, the young drake did suspect that the younger boy was sent by his brothers and sisters to cheer him up.

Hiccup became nervous all over again, heart pounding inside his chest as he thought about what he was going to do. Shadow could smell the anxiety from him, like a fog in the air, he could smell the boy's anticipation. Being sure not to spook him, Shadow asked what he wanted.

"I… I want to show you something… something I had done a few weeks ago." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck like he normally did when he was nervous. Shadow perked up from curiosity and urged him to show him.

When Hiccup raised his hands to unbutton his shirt, the drake's mouth went dry. Button by button, the shit eventually came off, falling from Hiccup's shoulders like a white cloud. On his chest, revealed now from the shirt being removed, was a tattoo.

Shadow could feel his heart beat faster as he recognised the silhouette, it was his dragon form. The head of the mighty beast lay below Hiccup's throat, its horns clearly defined and sharp on the boy's skin, the neck, straight and slender trailed down his breastbone where it married with the muscular body, with the tail trailing down his stomach to just above his belly button. But the wings! The dragons wings extended over Hiccup's chest, as if it was gliding over the contours of his body. The appendages stretched over his pecks, reminding him of the luck and glory tattoos other drakes sometimes get. He could see every detail, every scale, even the cuts and wounds from long ago fights on the wing membrane.

Everything on the tattooed dragon's body matched Shadow's. The same scars, the same patterns… all of it. It was him. Hiccup's luck and glory tattoo… was him.

Shadow wasn't even aware of when he stood up, nor when he walked over to gaze at the tattoo in awe and admiration. It was gorgeous, so perfect. Hiccup attempted to cover his naked upper body from Shadow's intense staring, but the drake just pulled his arms away so he could continue to stare. He was entranced by the tattoo, just as he was entranced with the very boy who wore it.

"There's another one, if you'd like to see…" he said barely above a whisper. Shadow nodded, breaking visual contact with the tattoo finally.

Hiccup slowly turned around…

Shadow could have sworn that he felt his heart stop. It was… it was… oh gods it was beautiful! Two slender wings, tucked in tight, were inked onto his back, arching high on his shoulder blades, and extending low beneath the waistband of his pants. Spinal ridges that looked far too real to be just an image protruded from the base of his hairline, to down towards his tailbone. And the scales. Oh gods above, the scales! Shadow could have wept from their perfection. Each were individually crafted for his skin, seamless, spotless, and unmarked. Tiny daggers linked like chainmail, covering his entire back, his shoulders, his neck, his waist, and very likely covered much more beneath those pants.

Shadow couldn't help himself, he needed to touch the tattoo, the wings, the scales. They looked far too real to be true. He had to know how they felt. Hiccup shuddered underneath his touch as the drake trailed his hands all over his back. He traced the shoulders of the wings, and the strong, muscular appendages as if they were real. He trailed his hands down his spine, feeling the spinal fins down his back. And he pressed his entire hands over the scales that covered his body. Underneath the seemingly too real images, Shadow could feel Hiccup's developing muscles. The boy wasn't as weak and helpless as he used to be, now, he was all lean and toned, with strong chorded muscle.

He was so beautiful, and now, with this tattoo, a mark to show his undying dedication to him and his kind, Shadow thought him to be a stunning draconic angel.

Shadow couldn't even stop himself if he wanted to, he had to touch Hiccup, feel the phantom wings, the ghostly scales. They were a part of the boy now, as real as the wings and scales on Shadow's dragon form. He had to touch them, touch him. So he did, trailing his hands up and down that toned and defined back, over his shoulders and around his hips, drawing him closer until Shadow had his arms fully wrapped around Hiccup's waist. Hiccup was squirming in the drake's arms, wanting to feel more, to touch more. Every single touch set his skin aflame with heat and desire. He wanted more of Shadow. Needed him.

The drake brought his face to the crook of Hiccup's neck and smelt him, gods he smelt good, just like a dragon. His tongue flicked out to taste his skin, making the boy shiver and press himself harder against the larger male. Gods, he tasted even better.

"I want to see the rest of it." He whispered into Hiccup's ear. "Show me all of it. Show me all of you." He purred.

Slowly, Shadow dropped his wandering hands to the waistband of his pants, gently tugging them to show what he wanted. Hiccup moaned in desire and dropped his hands to cover the drake's. He slowly pulled them down.

And when Shadow took a step back, he had to bite his lip to not make a needy sound. The wings were enormous, now that he could see the rest of them. If they were real wings, the wingspan had to be at least eighteen feet. But the tail! Oh gods, Shadow had to desperately restrain himself to keep from touching the tail, and following its length as it coiled down Hiccup's left leg. A thin, long tail that trailed from Hiccup's tailbone, to around and over his thigh, and back around his calf, where he could see it was armed with a sleek tail blade.

Oh gods above, Shadow couldn't take much more of this. He had to touch him, but didn't want to frighten him away. It was like wanting to touch a delicate flower with razor sharp claws. He couldn't unless he wanted to ruin it. But Hiccup wanted him to touch him.

Shadow felt his breath hitch as the younger male gently grabbed his hands and placed them on his bare hips, encouraging him to touch more. Shadow readily complied, kneeling down so he could reach all the way down Hiccup's leg. The ghostly touches were driving Hiccup mad with want, and when Shadow snaked his hand over his thigh and in between his legs to follow the length of the tail, he couldn't take it anymore. He desperately clawed at Shadow, silently begging him as his breath came in ragged gasps.

Shadow could smell his desire, his lust, and smirked against the skin of his hip where he knelt. Teasingly, he licked a long trail over the tattooed tail. Hiccup practically bucked into him, clawing at Shadow's hair to pull him closer. Oh yes, the drake knew exactly what he wanted, and he wanted to give him everything he desired.

Ever so slowly, Shadow continued to lick his skin, inching towards the front, and ever so closer to his goal, while one of his hands continued to caress his leg, and the other coming up to squeeze Hiccup from behind. The boy was practically begging before Shadow got even close.

The first lick of Shadow's tongue set him on fire. The drake had to hold him still, since he was wriggling with pleasure and his knees were weak. Shadow licked him again and Hiccup couldn't stop from crying out. By the third lick, the longest and most heated yet, Hiccup couldn't stand. Shadow had to manoeuvre him so his back was firmly pressed up against a wall before he went back to pleasuring him.

Trying to keep himself grounded, Hiccup tried grabbing onto whatever he could in an attempt to stop himself from falling over from pure pleasure. He tried grabbing the wall, but Shadow only growled while his mouth was around him, the vibrations sending shockwaves through Hiccup, and he nearly lost it right there.

The kneeling drake made him hold him by the horns, not only to keep him standing, but to make him go at his own pace. Every lick, every suck made Hiccup see stars, and he had to hold Shadow back from going any faster. Shadow went down on him torturously slow, drawing desperate cries and hungry moans from Hiccup's mouth. Slowly, Hiccup picked up the pace, moving Shadow's head by his horns to go faster, go deeper, and suck harder.

Just as Hiccup was about too loose control, Shadow stopped and stood up. Hiccup made a desperate whiny noise in the back at his throat, urgently wanting more. Shadow chuckled lowly in his throat and leant down to lick his chest, all over the tattoo. The older drake made sure to pin his hips against the wall as he assaulted his chest, licking and sucking on his nipples. Hiccup couldn't stop moaning in pleasure, and begged Shadow to touch him more, needing to feel him.

Shadow grabbed the boy's thighs and hitched his legs up around his waist, pressing himself fully against him. Then he grabbed the boy's wrists and pinned them above his head. Hiccup was unable to resist or fight back as Shadow attacked him again. The drake grinded against him, and nipped and sucked on his neck at the same time. The drake was desperately holding back but oh so tempted to rut him like an animal, but no, he wanted to show his bed mate how much he could worship his body. Rutting would come later, but as of right now, Shadow wanted Hiccup to learn just how much of a sexy devil incarnate he could be.

Hiccup's heavy panting echoed throughout the room as Shadow grinded his hips hard against his naked body. He could feel the drake's arousal pressing against him, begging for attention, but the submissive couldn't move to pleasure him. Shadow licked and bit and sucked on Hiccup's nipples, covering his chest in red bite marks, all while keeping him pinned to the wall by their hips.

"Shadow… please." He begged, desperately trying to move out of his grasp. The drake lifted his head and gazed into his lust filled eyes. Hiccup tried to lean forward and claim the dragon's lips, but he was just out of reach. Oh how he teased!

But Shadow hesitated, unsure of kissing the smaller boy. He had never kissed any one of his previous bed mates, never felt it was right, but now, he could feel a glow inside his heart and he knew, now was the time to kiss his mate.

With a supressed snarl, Shadow attacked Hiccup's mouth with his own, tilting his head to kiss harder, licking and biting the boy's bottom lip before thrusting his tongue into his mouth. They explored each-others mouths greedily, desperately trying to press their bodies together more. Oh gods, Shadow tasted amazing, his kisses were addicting and dominating. This sex crazed beast wasn't a dragon, he was an incubus. Everything he did was cunning and calculated, drawing the most pleasure from his submissive.

When they couldn't breathe any longer and were forced to separate, Shadow finally let go of Hiccup's wrists, the boy bringing them to wrap around the dragons neck, while the larger male squeezed Hiccup's ass, and pulled him away from the wall. He was placed on top of the desk on one side of the room, legs swinging off the edge of the table and spread apart so the drake could stand in between them.

Looking down, Hiccup could see his Dominant's arousal, straining against his deliciously tight pants. He tried to reach forward to untie them, but the drake pushed him away so he could do it himself. They never broke eye contact as Shadow's clawed hands undid the drawstring of his trousers and inched them lower down his hips.

Gods above, he was huge. No wonder he had a reputation. It seemed what the younger princes said earlier was true: that a dragon's wingspan did correlate with the size of other parts... Hiccup bit and licked his lips at the sight of it. The damn cocky bastard smirked devilishly, grazing his claws across his thighs as he stood there waiting.

"Well, don't you want to touch it?" he purred. That damn, draconic incubus. Hiccup complied and wrapped his hand around the enormous length, experimentally squeezing and stroking him. The drake's breaths came in ragged gasps and moans as Hiccup used his hands to pleasure him, and he couldn't stop himself from bucking into the smaller male's hand.

Shadow's claws dug into the table as Hiccup continues to stroke him, his breaths sounding more like pleasure filled gasps as he worked him. The drake touched and kissed the smaller male, urging him onwards and to experiment more. Hiccup ended up having to use both hands to stroke his considerable length. Shadow's self-control all but snapped when Hiccup licked his lips and moaned, and in response, forcefully grabbed his hips and pulled him flush against him, pressing their arousal's together and grinding against each other. Hiccup arched his back and cried out in ecstasy at the friction.

"Hiccup… If we keep doing this… I wont be able to stop. I'll lose all control with you touching me like this…" he groaned. "I don't want to stop, but if you do you have to say it now… If we don't stop… and we both want to do this… there is only so long I can be gentle for." He grunted while trying to stay in control.

Hiccup leant forward and licked a stripe up Shadow's neck, and whispered into his ear. "I want all of you, Shadow. I've wanted this for months… please…" he begged.

Shadow kissed him again, hard and heated at first, before slowing, and becoming more gentle and passionate. His hands caressed the boy's face as they kissed, fully absorbed with each other. When they finally pulled away, Shadow held his fingers up to Hiccup's gasping mouth.

"Suck." He ordered. Hiccup readily complied, coating his fingers in saliva, sucking on them with want. Shadow withdrew his fingers and started to play with him in between his legs, sliding them against him and teasing.

"This might feel uncomfortable at first, but I promise you will love it."

Then he slid a finger in slowly. Hiccup cried out at the intrusion, but forced himself to stay still. Very slowly, Shadow worked him, getting him used to the feeling and making him enjoy it, before adding another finger. Very slowly, he picked up the pace and moved his fingers in deeper, searching for that one little spot that would make Hiccup collapse in ecstasy.

As soon as he found it, Hiccup screamed in pleasure and bucked into his hand. Shadow did it again, and again, stretching him so he was prepared for what came next. Hiccup was about to lose control again when Shadow stopped. Gods, it was getting frustrating. He so desperately craved release, but every time he was close, Shadow prevented him from going over the edge. The damn, cocky bastard. Hiccup couldn't take much more of this.

The drake pulled him off the table, making sure to press their hips together, before turning him around and bending him over the table. It was just the right height for what the drake wanted to do. Hiccup however, began to sweat from nerves. He had never done anything like this before, and was slightly afraid about what would come. Shadow sensed his nervousness and rubbed his back soothingly.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you… at first." He purred.

Just feeling the older male's length pressing against him made Hiccup see stars. Every movement felt like ecstasy. Then Shadow lined himself up, and slowly pressed into him. Oh gods! Hiccup bit his lip to keep from crying out. Shadow forced himself to go slowly, inching his way further ever so slowly, effectively torturing himself further. Finally, he was fully sheathed inside him, and gave the boy as long as he needed to adjust to his size, then he started to move.

Pain quickly turned to pleasure as the drake moved and thrusted, drawing pleasure filled cries from Hiccup's mouth. He had never imagined something feeling so good. It drove him mad and had him begging for more. Shadow increased his pace when Hiccup begged him, still desperately holding back from rutting him like a beast, but his control was quickly slipping.

When Hiccup screamed in pleasure from Shadow hitting that pleasure inducing spot, the drake couldn't hold back anymore, and his self control snapped. Hiccup was unprepared for the harsh and brutal thrusts, screaming in ecstasy every time Shadow hit that spot.

Over and over, Shadow thrusted into him, clawing at his back and hips to get closer, marking his flesh with his claws, and at one point, bending over him and biting the back of his neck with his fangs. Hiccup was his, and only his. No one could touch him. The thoughts nearly drove Shadow over the edge with the desire to claim him. That primal urge drove his mind wild, leaving nothing but the beast inside him to claim his mate, and he thrust harder. Hiccup was screaming in pleasure and pain, feeling like he was being split in half, but loving every moment of it. Only the pain started to outweigh the pleasure as Shadow lost himself in the moment, rutting him hard and fast like a beast. But as soon as the boy's pleasure filled cries became pain filled ones, Shadow clawed his way to a stop and moved away. Despite the pain dissipating from his body, Hiccup immediately felt lost and empty from the lack of contact. When he looked back, he saw Shadow, his lust filled eyes and aroused body darkening and curling in on itself in shame. He hurt Hiccup.

Shadow thought that he had just ruined all chances of being with Hiccup by hurting him, but when the boy lunged at him and claimed his lips with his own, he last all coherent thought again, although not losing himself to the dragon side of him. The shock of the kiss made him trip over backwards, and they crashed into the soft nest of furs, with Hiccup straddling his waist. The boy did not stop kissing him for a whole five minutes.

When he sat up, he groaned from both pleasure and pain. Having been denied release for so long, he was desperate now, and wasn't letting Shadow get away that easy. "We are not done yet." He purred against Shadow's lips.

This time, Hiccup was in control, and kept the drake in line, making sure he would not lose himself in the moment this time. He sat back and slowly moved to sit on top of the larger male, before sinking down on him and gasping in pleasure. From this angle, Shadow's considerable length felt much deeper inside him. Hiccup started to move and establish a rhythm they could both keep up with. It kept Shadow in line and kept him from snapping, Hiccup was in control now. Shadow could only hold the boy's hips and move him to bring out the most pleasure and stroke him.

Shadow's hand on his member drove Hiccup mad, and his movements became erratic and desperate. He couldn't get enough of it, wanted more and more. Finally, that feeling came back again, the feeling for wanting release, and he finally got it. They both roared as they went over the edge, clawing at each other to draw out their pleasure for as long as possible, before collapsing in each other's arms. Hiccup was slowly drifting off to sleep from exhaustion, while Shadow cleaned them both up. And when he finally settled into the nest of furs with his mate, he wrapped his wings around them like s blanket and drifted off to sleep, breathing in Hiccup's amazing scent.

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Far below, back in the dining room, Storm returned with another bunch of ice blocks to soothe everyone's headache. They had no idea that the noise would echo way down here, if they did, they would have made the couple go somewhere else… or come up with another idea entirely.

Well, at least they knew the rumours were true: that Shadow was the dragon equivalent of an incubus when it came to his partners and liked to make them scream… Although they seriously didn't need to know that fact.


	16. Chapter 16

Hey everyone, I'm back again. Miss me? I missed all of you :) Sorry about the late update, I've been finishing off some uni assignments and struggling with a few things at home. I feel like ranting a bit at the moment about whats stopping me from writing so frequently but I dont recon any of you are hear to listen to my issues, you're just here for my story (and a bit of romance to, am I right?) All good here! I might rant a bit tho...

So, what are you supposed to do when you are broke as hell, have no job, studying at uni, have issues with your own gender identity and want to move out? I'm a frigin mess. lol. The only new development on that list is the moving out thing, and I have no idea how to do that. Thank you Australian education system! I cant even balance a checkbook cuse of you... Anyway, youre not here to listen to that, youre hear to see what kinda shitstorm is happening on Berk thanks to the resident chief idiot.

Enough of my ranting, enjoy the chapter. Oh and THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED ON CHAPTER 15! I had no idea how well that would turn out, but I am so glad to hear you guys liked it! If I may ask, what kind of reactions did it get out of you? All those reviews made me feel warm and fuzzy, cuse it showed that I am capable of writing new stuff. Thank you all! I love you guys (plutonically of course.)

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Berk was in ruins. The village was divided. Chaos was everywhere. Stoick's assassination attempt on Prince Shadow had torn the village apart. No one trusted the chief anymore, except for his own council members, and the masses wanted him gone. They had witnessed firsthand what the Black Moons would do because of their treachery. They had no qualms with decimating the village and killing everyone on the island, and they had nothing against showing their strength.

Stoick was still refusing to back down to the monster that kidnapped and corrupted his son, but it was making the situation worse for everyone. This wasn't longing to get his son away from a dangerous beast anymore, this was personal to the point of insanity.

Stoick had to go, but since the council supported him entirely, there was nothing anyone could do about it, short of killing him that is… Stoick couldn't be moved, so the men and women of Berk turned to another to look over them. And because of this, Astrid was overwhelmed. She had no idea that the entire village would turn to her, but because of her status and friendship with the dragon princes, they believed that she was the one best suited to protecting them from the great black beasts.

The villagers still screamed in terror when another Black Moon flew overhead to Dead Mountain. They believed that one of them might decide to prey upon them and take revenge for their prince. And now they were demanding that Astrid do something to prevent an attack…

Astrid and Fishlegs sat together high up on one of the catapults to get away from the villagers, and the overall enormous mess thrust upon them by the people of Berk. Astrid needed time and space to think, and Fishlegs was best suited to help her, and her most trusted on the matter.

"The villagers won't stop demanding that I do something. But I have no idea what to do." She sighed.

"With Stoick still in power, and no way to legally overthrow him, there isn't much we can do in a political sense." Said Fishlegs. Now that Astrid was pretty much running the village, she needed help with what to do, which was where Fishlegs came in.

"Well, if political isn't the way, then what other unconventional things can we do?"

That was the real question. Black Moons, being as powerful as they were, were practically unstoppable. If one were to choose to attack, they wouldn't stand a chance. When Shadow had first arrived on Berk, before he was shot down by Hiccup's ballista, he had killed so many. Both humans and dragons fell by his teeth and claws. The villagers had no chance of fending off one, even with a lucky shot, the beasts were too cunning and powerful to be brought down. Here lay the issue, how to defeat an unstoppable force without fighting.

"Is there any way to talk our way out of this? Maybe we can convince the villagers to leave the island and live somewhere else. But then again, what's the chance of persuading them?" said Fishlegs half-heartedly.

Astrid thought about what her friend just said, and analysed every word. Maybe they could convince the villagers to leave, but where would they go? They had nowhere. So if they couldn't convince the villagers to leave, what other pieces on the board could be moved?

"What if we somehow convinced the dragons to move? No, that won't work… They just moved in up North, so they won't want to leave. But… hmm… What if we convinced them to not attack us?" she said hopefully. Fishlegs turned to her, and could see the gears turning in her brain. It seemed that when she was 'kidnapped', spending time with Hiccup had improved her problem solving skills.

"Black Moon dragons are extremely intelligent, right? And they have their own unique culture and language. Do you think that if we learnt to understand their culture and speak their language that they would be intrigued enough to listen to what we have to say? If we embrace their language and spoke in the same way they did, do you think they might leave us unharmed?"

It was an unusual idea thought at least. And that may be exactly what they needed. But the question was, how exactly do you learn a whole other language and culture, when the beings that live with that culture don't want to even speak to them?

"I'll send a letter to Hiccup later this afternoon. Maybe he can give us notes or something and help us out. Might take a few weeks for a reply though." Apart from that, there wasn't much they could do.

Lucky for them, about two weeks later, they got a reply and a package. Apparently Hiccup and Shadow had been exploring that large island just outside the storm barrier when the Terror got to them. They were impressed with Astrid's idea, and Hiccup sent the little dragon back with one of his detailed notebooks.

Astrid was ecstatic to have such information at her disposal, and she and Fishlegs were excited to learn what they could. For the next few weeks, they taught themselves to speak and understand the guttural language of the Black Moon dragons, often practicing conversations with the complex snarls and roars.

Astrid hoped that she would never have to use this skill to save her village, but in the end, fate is never kind. Like they say, people are like geodes, and if you want to see what they are made of… you must _break them._

Three days after the following new moon, a single Black Moon dragon flew over the village on his way to Dead Mountain. This sort of thing had become common, and had been striking fear into the hearts of everyone for weeks. But now, it was Stoick's turn to strike back.

The black drake was a small one, not even half the size of a fully grown male, and more importantly, he was alone. It was those two factors that mad Stoick grin as he played his hand.

"Bring it down!" he bellowed into the night sky. The dragon was unprepared for the attack, and struggled to dodge the arrows aimed at him. He managed to swerve around the attack, only getting nicked by the arrowheads once or twice. He hissed in rage and circled around to strike back, while more and more of Stoick's supporters sprung out from the rooftops to fire upon the beast. The dragon's armoured scales protected it from the toughened arrowheads, but its' leathery wings weren't as safe. Shallow cuts littered the membrane, not slowing him down yet.

But just as the dragonling circled around and prepared to fire upon the chief, something terrible happened. His wings froze up, and he began to plummet like a stone. His muscles couldn't respond and keep him in the air, so he fell… as the paralysis poison took a hold of him…

With a devastating crash, the young drake smashed into a house with a flurry of wings and tails. He stumbled around like a drunk as he pulled himself out, desperately fighting off the poison. It was too much for his small body, and he fell over again and again until his body couldn't move anymore. A dragon as young and small as him couldn't hope to fight off a poison this strong. He had been the perfect target.

Stoick and his men jumped on him, pulling thick heavy chains and shackles with them, and locked his limbs around his form, strapping his wings down, and strangling his tail. But the worst was the muzzle. Solid iron and chain designed to strap around his horns and lock his mouth shut. Astrid and the villagers could only watch in horror and outrage as the young hatchling was dragged away towards the arena.

Astrid struggled and fought her way to the front, but was barred from reaching the trapped beast. She tried screaming at the villagers hauling it away, but no one listened. She tried screaming at the chief in anger at what he had done, but he only slapped her and sent her tumbling to the ground in a heap.

And finally, she cried out to the trapped dragonling, begging him to fight against them as long as he could so she could save him.

"Dreh ni let niin kren hi. Krif wah niin. Dreh ni let niin kron!" She cried. The dragon's eyes lit up at the sound of her voice, and he kept on struggling against the chains, even as they held fast. He struggled against the poison, he struggled against the chains, he struggled against his captors as they locked him up inside the iron and stone cage. His efforts were in vain, but he never stopped fighting.

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Translation: _Do not let them break you. Fight against them. Do not let them win._


	17. Chapter 17

Ah what the hell, heres a new chapter for ya! I've got nothing else to do right now so why not treat you guys. I know the events in the last chapter might have been a bit of a shock, but it is crucial to the story. warnings tho, it will end up being quite sad. And yes, Stoick is going mad, even more-so then Dagur. the dragonling is important to the eventual ending, even though focus on him will be lost at some point. what happens to him will shape the course of history and the relations between Berk and Dead Mountain. I hope these chapters arent too tear jerking.

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Astrid couldn't go and see the dragonling until three days after he was captured. The unused arena had been fortified, reinforced and under heavy guard ever since the young drake was locked up inside. Every day, more and more chains and shackles were built and taken inside the iron cage. Stoick visited every day, and did not leave until hours later. Every time he went inside, agonised screams came out.

They were torturing him. They were torturing the young drake. A hatchling!

Astrid tried every day to sneak inside, to do what she didn't know. She was fuelled by a burning hatred and desire to end the lives of those men who would dare harm him. He was the equivalent of a child! But despite her rage fuelled efforts, she could not get inside.

Three days after his capture, she got her chance. The guards, so confident that the locks would hold, had drunk barrels of mead to celebrate their disgusting victory, and passed out drunk a few hours later. Astrid was able to sneak inside with a bag of supplies. She wore her flying leathers and a long grey cloak as she slunk into the arena cage. The scent of other Black Moons might calm the hatchling, and show that she was on his side, and the cloak would hide her as she crept her way across the stone ground.

The lock took a long time to open. It was one of the biggest, heaviest things she had ever seen, and she struggled to pick it silently with the drunken sleeping guards close by. But finally, she got in. the giant door wouldn't open very far, just enough for a man, but it was enough for her to sneak inside.

The sight before her shattered her heart into a million pieces. The poor poor dragon… he couldn't move from all the chains enveloping him. He had shackles clamped around his four legs, a thick, heavy collar and metal harness weighing him down, attached to the ground by short chains. His tear streaked face was locked inside a ghastly muzzle, cutting into the scales around his mouth, with iron bands wrapped around his horns to keep his head pressed to the dirt. But the wings. Oh gods… they had made a clamp that restricted his wings entirely. It was tightened around the muscles and joints, clamping down hard so they couldn't move. Even if he didn't have the other chains restricting him, with that wing clamp strapped to him, he could never fly away.

The dragon looked at her with fearful, yet defiant eyes. He was deathly afraid, but would never back down. Astrid held her hands out in front of her and approached very slowly. He might have been chained up and helpless, but he was still a Black Moon, and they were dangerous. She made soothing noises as she came closer to his head, kneeling down so she could look him in the eyes. His nostrils flared as he scented her, the expression in his eyes changing from anger and fear to curiosity.

Astrid continued to sooth him as she undid the lock on the muzzle. When it came off, he moved very slowly most likely from bad cramps in his neck.

"I'm here to help you." She said. "I don't mean you any harm."

The young drake stretched forward to smell her clothes, recognising the scent of his princes, and Shadow himself.

"Hi lost met Kulaan Vokun…" he growled. He sounded exhausted. Astrid nodded.

"Rok showed zu'u fin junaar rok wahlaan. Ahrk showed zu'u fin brii do Ved Vulon-Krein Dovah." She answered. "Zu'u los ok grah-zeymahzin."

Astrid reached into her bag at her side, and fished out a cloth and a healing salve. The drake watched her closely, unsure yet if she could trust her, but allowed her to come near so she could clean the cuts on his muzzle.

"My name is Astrid, but Shadow and his family call me Spaan-Vahdin in their tongue. What is your name?"

The drake winced and twitched as she cleaned his cuts, but soon relaxed around her. She moved to sit so she could cradle his large head in her lap.

"Dii name los Sah." He growled. Astrid had to think for a minute before she could translate the name. His name was Phantom. A beautiful name, which matched the markings on his body too. The markings looked like Ghost's, but more subtle.

"How old are you?" she asked as she moved to clean the more serious cuts along his body. When he answered her, she froze in shock. He was younger than Storm. He was barely old enough to be on his own. In human terms… he was twelve. Stoick was brutally torturing a twelve year old! She felt sick at the thought, with a few tears escaping down her face.

She gently stroked his scales, being mindful of all the cuts that littered his body. Oh gods, how could Stoick do this? There were so many wounds.

"I want to help you Phantom. I want to help you get better and to escape. But the village is already suspicious of me… so it will take time. Can you hold on long enough for me to help you escape?" she whispered, choking down her sobs.

"Nust laan zu'u wah fun niin things. How wah krii Vokun. Nust laan wah mindok un vonun vahzen. Zu'u nis fun niin ko daar form. Fod zu'u lost ni left naal fin ruz new vulon-krein, zu'u fen ni kos able wah kriist fin faaz."

She had her time frame. In his dragon form, Stoick would not be able to get an information out of Phantom, not without understanding the language. The secrets of the Black Moons were safe until then. But if he was still around after the next transformation, they would torture the answers out of him, and the language barrier would be removed. Stoick didn't know the truth that Black Moons could only transform with the moons. He still believed that they transformed at will. This would not be good, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Astrid would have to work hard to get him healthy enough to escape and fly away, all while he is being repeatedly tortured by the council. She had less than a month to complete an impossible task.

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You have met prince Shadow

He showed me the kingdom he built. And the beauty of Black night-sun (Moon) dragons… I am his ally.

Shield-Maiden.

My name is Phantom.

They want me to tell them things. How to kill Shadow. They want to know our hidden truths. I cannot tell them in this form. If I have not left by the next new night-sun (moon), I will not be able to stand the pain.


	18. Chapter 18

PLEASE DONT KILL ME FOR THIS. I AM SORRY FOR ANY PAIN AND TEARS. I feel really bad for writing this and I felt like crying through all of it, so I know the pain. I dont know if I will ever write another chapter like this again cuse it hurts so much.

Warning! Pain, torture and a character death. Im so sorry. things will get better, I promise.

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Weeks of torture. Weeks of healing. Weeks of ruin and pain. Moments of relief. It wasn't going to be enough. Phantom wasn't going to make it out of there, not on his own. He was beaten and broken, too weak to carry himself. Astrid had tried all she could, but nothing was helping. Every time she fixed one wound, it would be reopened and brutalised worse when she returned the next night. Unless they could get help, Phantom was never going to escape. And they both knew it. But trapped inside that iron tomb, the hatchling could even call for help. He was lame and mute. His voice would never be heard outside of the cage again.

Astrid wept every time she saw him, knowing full well that it was now hopeless. But still she pushed on, if not to help him escape, then to give him relief of the pain. They had only days left, and they knew they would not make it.

One day, when she cried against his scaly shoulder, she began to sing. She had run out of pain killers and could not get any more. He was in so much pain and nothing she did could help him anymore. So she sang, trying to direct his mind away from his broken body. Every muscle in his body was sore, cramped and bruised, but when he heard her voice, he forced himself to sit up and face her.

"Let Zu'u teach hi aan lovaas. Hi aal ni kos able wah aak zu'u, nuz hi can mulhaan aak yourself. Let zu'u teach hi aan lovaas ful hi aal lahney." He croaked.

Astrid sniffled and wiped the tears off her face and nodded. Sitting close to him so to try and use her own body heat to warm him, even though it was a futile effort. She sat against his belly, so she could hear his fading heart. Its beat echoed though her ears as he sung. It was slow and sorrowful, a cry for help. A call for his fellow brothers and sisters to come and help him. But they could not hear, only she, trapped but not trapped in his iron tomb with him.

He asked her to sing with him, to make the same noises and match his melody. Singing soothed her breaking heart and helped her find peace in the darkened room. That tiny speck of light inside her. They sung through the night, over and over, the same song. He made her practice, remember the words, and match his melody. She would never forget this song. It was his song. His cry.

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All through the day she sung the song, committing it to memory. She sung it softly so that no one could hear. They were not worthy enough to hear his song. Stoick walked by at one point in the day, he was off to torture Phantom again. She could see it in his eyes.

He was going to torture the hatchling again, the twelve year old. So in defiance, she held her head high and sung his song again, just loud enough for the chief to hear. His eyes narrowed at the foreign words, and knew, he knew right then, that she had been seeing him. She still defied him.

Later that hour, Astrid could hear his agonised screams coming from the arena again, and she cried along with him. Every day it continued, and she didn't know how much he could take, how much she could take. She prayed it would stop soon.

But it didn't. It got worse.

His pain filled screams changed to ones of horror, of pure terror. Of anguish and anger and helplessness. They were doing something even worse to him than normal. Something terrible. And she could do nothing to stop it. She could only scream along with him.

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She almost didn't want to go back in there, afraid of what she would see. He wasn't dead, no, they kept him alive even after the extra torture. But what exactly did they do to him? Astrid wasn't sure she wanted to know, but Phantom needed her. So she pushed open the iron gate.

And dropped to her knees and screamed.

His wings, oh god no… his wings. They were… they were destroyed. Shredded. Brutalised. Mutilated. The once beautiful black and silver speckled membrane was in tatters. Bits of them were hanging off in strips, parts were missing all together. Parts were burnt and shrivelled, the horrible smell permeating the air. The scent of his burnt flesh.

Astrid immediately threw up on the floor.

They hadn't just stopped at the membrane. The shoulder blades of the wings were butchered. The joints hacked at and torn open with unforgiving hands. The muscle cut and peeled back along the bone. There was no hope to save them. No hope at all. Astrid could only cry for his lost wings.

"They took my horns…" he sobbed. It was not the growling, husky voice of a dragon, it was that of a child. The voice belonged to a twelve year old boy. He was already transforming slowly. He sounded so broken.

Astrid forced herself to look again, and immediately wished she hadn't. She hadn't noticed that all the shackles were gone at first. But now she did. Because he was clutching his head in agony and loss, feeling for something that just wasn't there anymore. His clawed paws trembling as they ghosted over where his horns once were.

They had been sawed off.

Cut clean off.

Taken as trophies.

Astrid screamed again, as he wailed and wailed and wailed. "They took my horns. They took my horns. They took my horns…" he cried over and over without rest. Astrid clawed her way over to him and help his head in her arms, caressing the inflamed flesh around the stumps. To lose his wings was one thing, to lose his horns, what crowned the Black Moons king, it was gut-wrenching. Worse. Made him beg for death,

He had lost his crown.

And now, he had lost the will to live.

"They are… they are going to… keep torturing me… They wont stop. I… I… I wont… wont be able to stop… myself giving them what…. What they want. They took my horns… They will take more, and I wont be able to stop myself from giving it to them…" he sobbed. Every word broke Astrid's heart. Not just what he said, but the sound of his voice. He was a hatchling. He was twelve! He was twelve. He was twelve.

"Astrid… please… … I want you to… oh gods… I want you to kill me…" Astrid felt her heart stop and collapsed against him, numb to everything.

"The new moon, I can feel it… I don't want to transform and then suffer this pain as a human… I want it to end… please… I know it hurts, but I want you to end my suffering."

Astrid burst into tears again, and cried and cried and cried. The two of them sobbed together on the floor, numb to everything in the world. Astrid clutched to whatever part of him she could crab, snuggling into his dimming warmth, determined to feel as much of it as possible, and to warm him with her own body, as small as it was.

At least she could make his death painless. All these weeks of torture, he would be glad for a quick and painless death. But it wouldn't be painless. A Black Moon's hide was incredibly tough, so if she was to try and kill him now, she would be torturing him herself as she tried to slip her knife in between his ribs. She would have to get past the scales, then the toughened skin. Through thick layers of muscle despite him being malnourished, and break through bone as tough as iron. It would cause him too much pain.

But in his human form… he would still go through immense pain, reverting into a weaker form. His bones breaking and reforming over and over, his brutalised wings merging with his back… the transformation itself might kill him. But at least if he was human, it would be easy to slip her knife in between his ribs and end his suffering quickly. Just a swift movement and it would be done. His blood on her hands.

It would be better than him trying to commit suicide on his own, in pain, and lonely. So with a heavy heart, she nodded. Phantom nuzzled her as he cried, comforting her.

"I want you to sing that song… before I go… I want to hear your voice sing it again. Can you sing it for me?"

Astrid nodded and forced her sobs to die down. Outside, midnight was on the rise. The black moon reaching its highest point and starting the final transformation. He panted and convulsed beneath her hands, gasping at retching as pain overtook him. Astrid couldn't bear to watch, so she closed her eyes and sang.

"hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover… hey sister, do you still believe in love I wonder… oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do…"

Phantom screamed in agony. Astrid kept singing to mask and overpower his pain.

"What if I'm far from home? Oh brother I will hear you call. What if I lose it all? Oh sister I will help you out. Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do…"

She couldn't hold her eyes away any longer, and watched in sorrow as the young dragon transformed into a broken little boy before her eyes. His eyes would have been a beautiful pale blue if they weren't stretched wide in pain, in this dark cage. His hair would have been a wonderful, silky white if it wasn't limp and matted and dirty from the blood and dirt. He could have been an adorable child if he wasn't screaming his lungs out in unimaginable pain.

"hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover… hey sister, do you still believe in love I wonder… oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do… … What if I'm far from home? Oh brother I will hear you call. What if I lose it all? Oh sister I will help you out. Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do…"

Finally, he stopped screaming, stopped convulsing and stopped thrashing in agony. There in her arms was the tiny, frail, blood-soaked body of a twelve year old boy. Such a beautiful little light despite being a creature of the dark. A star amongst the night.

His blue, star like eyes looked up at her, and he smiled. He didn't want her to be afraid. He wanted her to remember something about him that was good. Even if it was his last moment, he wanted her to see him smile.

"Don't worry Astrid. I'll be fine. You've already done so much for me, I just want you to know that soon I'll be flying amongst the stars tonight on eternal wings of starlight. All because you showed me kindness. Don't think of me as being dead, think of me as flying amongst the stars."

Astrid smiled back at him, wanting him to see her happy at least once. He would fly again, he would fly eternally, on beautiful, everlasting gossamer wings, speckled with starlight.

She softly kissed him on his forehead, and caressed his hair, like a mother or a sister, while her other hand reached for her knife. Just one movement and he would be free. She knew he saw the knife, but he chose to ignore it, to savour his moment with her, being held and cuddled and warm despite pain.

"Fly eternally amongst the moon and stars, Phantom. Fly forever in starlight…"

Then she plunged her knife into his heart. She felt his heart shudder and stop. Quick. Painless. Instant. He sighed his last breath and fell still. Astrid dropped the knife and cradled him in her arms, sobbing into his shoulder. She could feel his skin grow cold, contrasting against her hot tears.

He would fly in starlight forevermore.

Astrid did not stop crying for the rest of the night, nor did she move when the sun rose. She didn't even respond when the doors were slammed open and someone walked in…

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let me teach you a song. you might not be able to help me, but you can still help yourself. let me teach you a song so that you might live.

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IM SORRY!


	19. Chapter 19

Hey everyone, sorry about the late update and all the feels from the last chapter. I promice you that Phantom will not die in vain. Stoick will get whats coming to him soon enough, and the Black Moons will make sure that he is properly humiliated and punished for his crimes. I wasnt able to update any faster because I had a take home exam for my criminology class. I probably should have started it earlier... there will be a bit of time until Stoick will get whats coming to him, but I promice you will love it.

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Astrid was numb to the world when she was dragged out of the cage. Dragged away from Phantom's lifeless body, left there like useless rubbish. It was sickening. Stoick had her by the arm, pushing and pulling and dragging her through the village. She couldn't feel a thing. She could only feel Phantom's hair beneath her fingers, his skin under her lips, his body cuddled against hers.

He was gone. He would be flying among the dawn by now, free of pain. Astrid only wished he could have made it out alive.

She was manhandled through the village and tossed in front of the council like a piece of meat before a pack of wolves. She couldn't hear their voices, nor see their faces. She could only see monsters, torturers. She had no idea what they said to her, she just saw the invisible blood on their hands, their monstrous auras, their dark hearts. The blood on her hands was because of them.

They blamed her for his death; said she was a dragon sympathiser, a spy, that she couldn't be trusted. She defied her chief. She was sentenced to death and was due to be executed the next day. Until then, she would be trapped in her own cell. Trapped like Phantom was. Alone.

Some people spat at her, others cried for her, some ignored her entirely. Astrid only looked at Stoick, all her grief and hate compounded into one dark look.

"What you did to Phantom is exactly what drove Hiccup to leave you." Then she was gone. She followed her guards to the prison, surrendering to her grief and her actions. Stoick stood there with a blank expression, feeling all sorts of emotions but showing none.

She cried to herself in her cell for hours, deep in mourning for the innocent hatchling. For the life that was taken from the world without mercy. Looking out of her cell window, she saw a sliver of the new moon, just the tiniest piece of light in the dark, shrouded in wispy clouds that glowed with the moonlight. She gazed up at the moon and stars, and sang. She sang so that everyone in the building could hear, anyone who was close by could hear, she sang in the hopes that every living thing on the island would hear her sorrowful song.

"Hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover… hey sister, do you still believe in love I wonder… oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do… … What if I'm far from home? Oh brother I will hear you call. What if I lose it all? Oh sister I will help you out. Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do…"

Far out among the stars and under the moon, three beings heard her song. Their hearts pounded in their chests as they turned their horned heads towards the sound of Astrid's voice. The winged beasts moved to answer the call.

"Hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover… hey sister, do you still believe in love I wonder… oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do… … What if I'm far from home? Oh brother I will hear you call. What if I lose it all? Oh sister I will help you out. Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do…"

Just as Astrid finished her song, a gargantuan roar echoed from over the ocean, shattering the grief filled night with angry cries. Another roar followed, and then another. The village stirred at the terrifying sound.

Astrid had heard that roar before. It was the roar of a Black Moon dragon. Three were on approach towards the island, but they seemed different to those that passed overhead weeks before. They sounded angry. They sounded furious. Their roars were battlecries.

The three winged beasts flew low over the village and released a torrent of crimson flame from their gaping jaws, setting roofs alight. Their war cries echoing through the village like a thunderclap. The armoury went up in flames and burned down in a pile of ashes. Berk erupted into a crazed battle frenzy. Never before had the beasts attacked without reason, and the village was completely unprepared for their brutality.

Buildings became piles of embers, stone structures were bulldozed to rubble by the dragon's mighty horns, and humans fled like mice beneath a lion's claws. The great black beasts began their hunt, unleashing a ferocity never before seen by the people of Berk.

Over the terrified screaming, the smashing of catapults and the ferocity of the flames, Astrid heard something that made her heart leap. The dragons were calling out to the people below.

 _"Where is the Black Moon Dragon you have captive? Where are they!"_ one roared in dragonspeak.

Astrid desperately added her cries to the agonised wails, screaming at the top of her lungs "I'm here! I'm here!"

The lead drake swung his massive head towards the prison and chanced course. Astrid could see out the window of her cell as the dragon charged up an electric blast, aimed at the wall separating her from her freedom. She scrambled to get out of the way before the wall was blasted apart.

Everyone in the near vicinity ran in terror when the dragon landed with a crash. The eight meter long beast growled at everyone and tore his way to the destroyed wall of her cell. But when he smelt her, he growled in confusion. He spoke in his husky, guttural language, which Astrid had to translate as quickly as possible.

 _"You are not a Black Moon dragon. How is it that you can speak as one? And how do you know our song to call for help?"_

"I am in league with Shadow Void-Wing. I am his ally here. I was imprisoned after I tried to help a hatchling."

The drake looked at her curiously. " _Where is the hatchling?_ " he growled.

Astrid began to fall apart in front of the dragon, tears escaping down her face. "He's dead. Phantom is dead. The chief killed him."

The beasts roar was nothing short of ferocious. Fire ignited behind his eyes, and the muscles in his body rippled with hate and adrenaline. He then turned and angled his wing, gesturing with his massive head for her to climb on. She was a friend of Shadow's and had attempted to help a hatchling. So the drake decided she was safe to trust. Shadow never trusted anyone without good reason.

Astrid heaved herself onto the dragons back, and sat in front of his wings. Some of the villagers who stuck around to watch the exchange called out to her with hateful words.

"Traitor!"

"Demon lover!"

"Spy!"

Astrid ignored their hate filled cries and urged the great black beast back into the sky. She directed him towards targets to destroy, pointing out where all the villages defences were, and all their catapults. The village could not fight back at all.

 _"Where is the hatchling's body?"_ the drake growled.

Astrid directed the dragon to one side of the village, guiding him with her foot and knees against his flank, until the arena was in sight. She pointed to the largest cage and told him that's were Phantom was. With a single gesture from the lead drake, one of the other two blasted a hole in the chains above the arena, did a loop in the air and then blasted open the iron doors. The third dragon flew inside to see the horrors inflicted upon the child.

The dragonesses agonized wail tore a hole through the screams of the people around them, and she limped out, carrying the lifeless body of the twelve year old child in her front talons.

 _"They cut off his horns!"_ she bellowed over and over into the fire lit sky. The other dragons roared in fury. _"They cut off his horns!"_

Down below, the villagers could sense the changes in their roars, going from anger and fury, to horror and sadness, then to a tangible rage. Astrid had to cover her ears when the drake she was astride bellowed his anger to the stars above.

 _"Where are his horns? Where would they have taken them!"_

"Stoick would have hung them in the great hall as a trophy. In there!"

The great black beast banked around, using the heat of the fires below to make him soar higher and higher into the night, then he lined himself up with the massive wooden gates of the great hall, and dived.

Astrid had to hold on for dear life as the wind threatened to pull her off the drake's back. The wind slapped her face and chilled her to the bone, despite the burning fire beneath the scales of the dragon. When they came within range of the Great Hall, she felt the dragon's scales expand and radiate heat, and heard the cackle of electricity coming from the beast's mouth. And with a mighty BOOM, the doors were blasted apart in an electrical fire storm.

The dragon flew inside and let out an echoing bellow, damaging the ears of all those inside the hall. Those who were not as affected, he swiped away like minute pests with his whip-like tail.

There, hung up on the wall like a trophy, were the horns of the hatchling. They were only tiny horns, too smooth to show the effects of a life of war and battle. Nowhere near long enough to show his age as an adolescent. Stained with iron burns from the shackles that held him down.

It was the sight of them up on the wall like that… like some kind of… some kind of trophy of torture, that sent the dragon into a battle fury that no one on Berk had ever seen before. Not from any army, nor any beast. Metal melted from the heat of his flames, wooden pillars disintegrated, stone was scorched black with ash.

The drake began to pull the great hall down from the inside, intending to crush those inside, be they warrior, man, woman, or child. All in the name of justice for the life they took from the Black Moons.

But astride him, Astrid said no. She kicked him so hard in the side of the neck that his flames faltered. "Do not become the monsters they believe you to be. Show them you are better than them. Show mercy when they didn't." She demanded.

It is said that a Black Moon will bow for nobody and no one, except for their own king and kin. But it was Astrid's words that brought a battle crazed Black Moon general to his knees. He calmed himself just enough to see reason, and nodded, before strutting over to the trophy wall and pulling the plaque off the wall with his front talons. He passed the horns to Astrid, before running out of the great hall with a flurry of wings, spreading fire with every downbeat.

Soon, the Black Moon dragons were flying away from the scene below them, the village alight like a beacon in the dark, growing smaller against their backs.

The drake turned his head to his companions, the female cradling the body of Phantom to her chest like a mother soothing her child, and the other male who's flesh was littered with fresh burns and wounds. The drake then turned to the human astride him, clutching the horns of the hatchling close to her body.

 _"We haven't been properly introduced yet. My name is Abraxos. You are?"_

"My name is Astrid. Shadow and his family call me Spaan-Vahdin." She replied.

Abraxos hummed thoughtfully before speaking again. _"Hmm. Shield Maiden. A fitting name for a warrior such as you."_

Astrid sobbed and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. "But I wasn't able to save Phantom…"


	20. Chapter 20

Hey everybody, sorry for the late update, uni is getting hectic. three assignments due on the same day, one due next week, and exams after that. Im going to keep working on this even though I will be very busy so dont worry. Again, sorry for the late update but this shit is hard to do. I hope you like this chapter, although there is nothing really important going on. A proper funeral for Phantom and Shadows plans for the future. I have something special planned for the next few chapters and when Stoick is forced to pay for his crimes. I will give you more information about that later, but i promice you will love it.

hope you enjoy, and Ill try and update again soon. dont forget to review!

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They held a small funeral for Phantom on a large island a few days after leaving Berk. There they found evidence of a camp, the scents telling the Black Moons that Shadow and his princes had been here before. Unfortunately, Phantom's body would never make it to their new home, but at least he would still glide among the stars.

His body was burned on a funeral pyre on the highest mountain, so that he might be closer to the sun and moon. His horns were kept, as per Abraxos's recommendation. They would take them home with them, and ensure that Phantom was given a proper gravestone as per their traditions. The plaque was destroyed and tossed in the ocean, never again holding up the hatchling's horns like a hunting trophy. Phantom deserved better.

After their small ceremony, the three dragons and Astrid left the island, hearts heavy and with oaths of vengeance. The other two dragons didn't speak, too hung up in their grief, but Abraxos at least tried to soothe Astrid as they flew. She didn't bother hiding what happened, and told him everything as Phantom's body turned to ashes, and they spoke to each other as they flew onwards.

She told him how she was the one who ended it, who slipped her knife in between his ribs to end his suffering. She cried as she told him she killed him. But Abraxos was forgiving of her, for she had ended his suffering and saved him in the end. He blamed the chief and all those who followed him for the death of Phantom. Astrid had been the one to show him mercy through his agony, and didn't deserve to be blamed for the death blow.

For weeks they flew, grieving, wondering how they would tell their Prince, how they would tell his mother that her son had died. Astrid believed that as soon as Shadow found out, he would attack the village, destroy the lives of all who live there, and turn the village into nothing but a pile of ashes and black scorched stone. The village didn't deserve it, not all of them. Only Stoick and those who followed him. Those who stood by and watched as Phantom was tortured. Astrid wanted to convince Shadow to spare the village, and only punish those responsible, but with the way he had spoken about hatchlings when she was with him, and how precious they were, she doubted he would listen. And Berk would become nothing but a black smudge on a map, obliterated by the lightning and fire of the Black Moon hordes.

Eventually, they made it to Dead Mountain, flying out of the rainstorm they had been caught in. they stood soaking wet in the antechamber and dried of as best they could before moving on. Astrid recognised this room, it was the same one that she first saw when she was brought here the first time, the first time she saw Shadow up close in his dragon form.

They dried off and walked off to find their prince, with Astrid trailing slowly behind them, carrying Phantom's horns in a bag against her chest. Last time she was here, before she had grown close to the Princes, the mountain fortress seemed cold and unforgiving. It later became a haven for her, a place that held strength and would protect her. But now, it was dark and lonely, with the once comforting shadows threatening to swallow her whole.

The inner cavern was not how she remembered it, the rough-hewn rock of the dormant volcano had been shaped to accommodate the winged beasts as they flocked around them in a massive spiral. Many dragons flying about were carrying something, probably for the growing amount of construction. And there, standing on a platform that spanned nearly half of the lower cavern, was Shadow.

He looked up at the masses in pride, watching with awed eyes as his kingdom grew, and his people prospered. And Astrid was going to crush that. The trio of dragons approached the eldest prince and bowed to him in greeting. Astrid hung back, clutching that bag like it was her lifeline while Abraxos and Shadow exchanged words. She saw the shifts in his expression, that draconic smile morphing into one of shock and horror, then sorrow. She saw the muscles in his body twitch and quiver, then slump in grief. She saw his eyes go dark and teary, then turn towards her and the bag she held.

Slowly, he came towards her, his steps near silent on the hard black stone, yet heavy with the weight of loss. When he stood in front of her finally, Astrid could not hold her tears in any longer, and let them fall down her cheeks. She opened the bag, and revealed inside the horns of the hatchling, still marked from the abuse he suffered in life.

Shadow's head drooped to the floor, and tears welled in his eyes as he took in the bags contents. He did not roar in anger, he did not screech in horror, he merely mourned in silence alongside Astrid.

At some point, Shadow's head came to rest against her shoulder, and her arms came up to wrap around his neck, although it was unclear who moved first.

"I'm sorry… I did all I could to save him…" she cried. Shadow crooned in response to soothe her tears. The two of them stood there, comforting one another until the flocking hordes above them landed on perches around the cavern to hear the news. All were silent as they watched their prince mourn. Words were not said amongst the other dragons, yet everyone knew. They knew what had happened by watching their prince, and gazing at the spilled bag on the floor at their feet.

Shadow slowly pulled away when Astrid's sobs died down to small whimpers, and turned his head towards a drake behind him, speaking a few soft words. They were not plans for battle, orders of war, or commands for Berk's annihilation, instead they were words to plan a ceremony for the fallen hatchling, for a gravestone to be made.

Astrid slumped in relief, Berk would be spared… for now at least.

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The gravestone they made for Phantom was simple, yet elegant. It was a simple stone pillar with his name carved into it, perched on a cliff overlooking the rising sun. It was made with obsidian fashioned in the depths of the mountain's forge, the six horns crowning the top like a crest. Those horns were far too small to be mounted on a gravestone. But at least he would be honoured like this, instead of hanging on the wall as a hunting trophy.

Drakes and dragonesses flew towards the cliff face to mutter their prayers all through the night, before moving on so another could take their place at the foot of the gravestone to mourn him. Every Black Moon in Dead Mountain appeared there during the night, but Shadow stayed the longest, standing in silent vigil with an unnamed dragoness until the light of dawn. Hiccup and Astrid were there too, wrapped in thick fur cloaks to wait for the dawn. Astrid refused to leave there even after the sun rose, muttering her apologies to the obsidian stone, as if it was a vessel for Phantom's soul to connect with their world. She did not leave the gravesite until that evening, when Midnight came to carry her sleeping form to bed.

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Astrid and Hiccup woke up late the next morning, arriving at the large dining room roughly at the same time. Shadow and the princes were nowhere to be seen, same with Abraxos and a few other high ranking dragons. The two humans hoped that they weren't planning an attack on Berk, because even though many bad things had happened there, it wasn't the entire villages fault. Many were innocents and didn't deserve the wrath that the Black Moons could wreck upon them.

After a small breakfast, the two decided to go looking for the Black Moon council up in the throne room. They found them standing in a circle around a spot on the floor, conversing together quietly.

The entire floor was covered with carvings, a giant map of the archipelago created by dragon claws. The dragons were crowded around a small island not too far from Berk, the same island that Shadow and the princes camped at, and where Phantom's body was burned.

Paper and ink pots were strewn around the floor. Rough and detailed sketches were drawn on the paper, not of the numbers of soldiers available to launch an attack on Berk, but sketches of the landscape and building designs.

They watched from afar as Shadow and his court planned and designed a small city against the side of a mountain on the island, with a port down inside a cove. These were not plans for war and destruction, these were plans for civilisation and construction. Astrid thought that the eldest prince would be making plans for war at the loss of a hatchling. This was unexpected.

When Shadow noticed the two of them by the entrance, he gave them a small toothy smile that didn't reach his eyes, and called them over with a sweep of his head. The two humans joined in with the planning, trying to gorge the thoughts of the other drakes.

"I know what you are going to ask, and the answer is no. I don't intend to attack Berk, at least, not in the way you are thinking. The loss of Phantom is a major toll on all of us, and it will not go unpunished. However the solution I have in mind might benefit everyone more in the long term and result in less bloodshed." He said.

He then used his claws to shift a few pieces of paper about, bringing a heavily detailed sketch before them. It had on it the detailed outline of a mountain fortress, but styled like a trading post.

"The island that we stayed at when we went to visit Berk is in an excellent position, just on the edge of our territory, and bordering the other clans. By building foundations for a small city, we can encourage trade with the other villages and create harmony between our clans at some point in the future. It would also allow us to have soldiers stationed close to the borders so that they can respond to situations within a few short days instead of weeks. We intend to start construction immediately, and once we have a suitable structure, I wish to invite the Chiefs of all the clans to visit. There, we will address all the issues that have occurred in a safe environment, free from assassination attempts, and we can sit down and talk like civilised people."

Hiccup had to take a few moments for the information to set in. Shadow still intended to act peacefully towards the other clans despite all that had happened. He just hoped that peace was still possible.

The dragons continued to plan throughout the day until orders were given out, and they finally disbanded for dinner. The prince was confident things would turn out well, and to show his growing happiness at the progress they were making, he gave Hiccup a lick on his cheek, a dragon version of a kiss.


	21. Chapter 21

hey everybody, me again. Miss me? some of these scenes are getting harder to write, simply because they are place fillers. hopefully in the chapter after this, we will be seriously getting into Shadow's secret plans for the archipelago. Im still working out what will exactly happen but I have a few ideas. Im going to ask what you guys want to see happen so send a review with ideas. I wont spoil anything for you now, but ill add another authors note at the end of the chapter to ask specific questions on what to include in the coming scenes.

Let me know what you think, or feel free to ask questions.

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It was absolutely remarkable how calm Shadow was about the whole situation. A hatchling had died, yet he seemed so unaffected by it. All of his efforts went into planning out the new trading post and fortress on the island at the edge of their territory. The appropriately named Dragons Edge would begin construction after the next new moon, when teams of Black Moons were freshly transformed into their dragon forms. Supplies and construction pieces were already been built, and merely had to be transported to the location.

But despite all this progress and prosperity, Hiccup was worried. So to was Astrid, who was spending the majority of her time with the eldest female of the Void-Wing family. Everyone had been affected by the death of Phantom, none more so than the Princes, Astrid, and the hatchlings mother, but everything was in such a calm state, that it had Hiccup fearing for the storm that was sure to come.

Hiccup had tried to talk to Shadow about it, but the prince pushed the conversation away, which made the young boy worried at secret plans being brewed. Shadow wouldn't let something like this go, let alone completely dismiss it, so there had to be something else going on. But whatever it was, the eldest prince was hiding it well.

Once the new moon came around, Hiccup became nervous. The construction of this outpost would begin, and whatever plan Shadow was concocting behind his back would be brought into play. He just hoped that it would not end in more bloodshed, even though the death of Phantom deserved restitution in equal share.

That night, as Hiccup held Shadow's dragon form in his arms, watching his body change before his eyes, he wondered… was Shadow planning to destroy Berk? Was this outpost meant to be the start of a war? And if so, which side of Shadow will he see come from impending battle?

Or was Shadow still determined to find peace despite all the blood that has been spilled already? He has already met with Stoick many times before, and faced him on level ground, one human to another, even though underneath monsters lurked.

The question was… who was the real monster, and what form did they take?

The morning after, Hiccup felt Shadow rub soothing hands over his back, comforting claws through his hair, and nuzzle kisses to his neck. He lay there and smiled as the humanoid drake cuddled him, before laying a kiss to his forehead and moving away. Hiccup stayed lying in the pile of furs as Shadow left the room, but he clearly heard Shadow say, "I might be a monster, but I am not one at heart." Right before he left.

…

The construction teams moved out immediately, burdened with supplies and prebuilt structures strapped between them. And every few days, more supplies went out to them. Despite the massive distance between Dead Mountain and Dragons Edge, they made excellent time, and made sure that the growing outpost had both human and dragon workers, always working, constructing, growing. A month in to the construction, Hiccup and Shadow went to see how it was all coming along.

There were multiple buildings already constructed, with many more standing bare, with nothing but their framework visible. There was a massive structure near the top of the cliffs, partially cut into the rock itself, with a room open to the elements big enough to hold the entire Black Moon high court. Individual rooms were cut into the rock face for those in dragon forms, and the buildings made from wood and stone were for those in human forms. There was a marketplace down by the docks, storage spaces on the hills and many more things still under construction.

Shadow was very happy with their progress, and they left some days later.

When another two months passes, they received word that the outpost was completed. Dragons Edge was ready to receive the garrison of Black Moon soldiers. And it was then that Shadow revealed his hidden plan.

"I want teams of messengers sent to every clan in the archipelago. Every Chief and their Heir must come to Dragons Edge immediately. I want to host a meeting at Dragons Edge, where they will see our accomplishment and understand what we have in stall for them. I want them to understand just how powerful we are, and now that we have a base close to their borders, I want them to know just how fast we can attack them if we see fit."

Dusk and Dawn were sent to select the messengers, and Ghost wrote the letters. Once the preparations were finished, the messenger teams were briefed in the map room, then sent off to their destinations within the hour.

…

All across the Archipelago, villages erupted into chaos at the sight of the pitch black dragons when they flew over buildings, screaming their battle cries. The Berserkers prepared for an attack, and fired upon the beast when it came in range, but their arrows missed every time. When Dagur screamed at the dragon to fight him, it hovered in front of him, revealing its rider…

The Bog-Burglars attempted to barricade their villagers in their great hall, and wait for the beast to leave on its own. But the new species of dragon didn't leave, and kept trying to bait the chief out into the open. That was when Big Boobie Bertha saw the rider on its back, calling out for their attention…

Megadon the Meathead tried to shoot it out of the sky with catapults in a vain attempt to down the beast. It merely resulted in all his war machines being blasted to pieces, before the rider on the dragons back roared…

The Outcasts attempted to set other dragons on the new black beast, hoping that their caged, feral dragons could use their numbers to bring down the newcomer. But each one backed away once they heard its roar, and bowed before it. That was when Alvin the Treacherous saw the rider, and heard its voice…

And finally, the chief of the Hairy Hooligans brandished his sword towards the great black beast hovering in the sky above him, challenging it while his clan cowered in fear. The chief stood alone against his foe, screaming and bating the beast, while families kissed their loved ones goodbye, believing the dragon was the beginning of their end. Then the rider appeared on the dragons back and spoke out above the raging chief…

…

"Chieftains of the Barbaric Archipelago, hear my voice! The ruler of the Black Moon Hordes, Prince Shadow Void-Wing, demands your presence at Dragons Edge! There you will speak to our lord about the future of the archipelago and all who live under your rule. The gathering is scheduled in two weeks' time at dusk, on the eve of the half moon. Attendance is mandatory for both the chieftains, and their heirs. Those who do not attend will be condemning their villages to death. Make haste to the edge of the Dragons Lair, or burn on the outer regions of hell."

Each of the messengers then hauled a mighty spear above their heads, brandishing it in all its glory, before throwing it at the feet of the village leader, mere inches from their feet. Illuminated by the light torches, the chief's could see the written message tied securely around the shaft, no doubt containing details of the meeting, and a map to find the location. The spear, tipped with a razor sharp obsidian head, adorned with strips of leather and decorated with black dragon scales shaped like arrowheads. It was a bold and brazen move, yet highly effective. The chief's didn't dare attack now.

Not when the black beast and rider promised death.

Each black beast roared, then sped off in a flurry of black and silver speckled wings to the North, back to Dragons edge, leading the way to their lord for the human chiefs to follow.

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Ok, so heres my potential scene ideas. Shadow is going to host a meeting at Dragons edge for all the chiefs to attend, but some of the finer details are yet to be decided. ideas are: a dance/formal function before negotiations, so dresses, suits, music and dancing. run ins between Hiccup and Stoick outside of negotiations. Shadow demonstrating his power to the chiefs as well as playing with Hiccup lewdly in front of everyone. and a possible death of one of the chiefs, as a power demonstration after they disrespect Shadow. Possible cannibalism in the death scene (Ive been watching too much Hannibal)

if you have other ideas of what to include, let me hear them, or if you want to see a particular thing happen from my list, let me know so I can write something you will all enjoy.


	22. Chapter 22

Hey everyone, I felt so inspired today that I decided to write a new chapter. the reason for my inspiration... one of my loyal readers and fantastic reviewer Razor95. I want to give special credit to them for helping me with progressing my ideas for the future chapters. this chapter now is of my own design, but the ideas and prompts for the oncoming chapters are credited to him. I must admit I hadnt even thought of some of these ideas and Im very happy he shared them, as it will ensure loads of exciting chapters and content to come. I look forward to writing these new chapters, and I strongly believe you will love them.

Thank you so much Razor95, I cant wait to go to work. :)

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What a day. This negotiations banquet that Shadow had planned was using up all their spare time. Last minute supplies had to be shipped out, battalions of Black Moons paired up and moved to Dragons edge for the event, clothing packed and moved to the exit hall. It was tiresome work. Hiccup and Shadow had barely had any time to themselves, yet alone with each other. Hiccup didn't even have time to bathe properly.

He was tired, dirty and sore all over, not to mention cold from the icy drafts blowing through the mountain caverns. Hiccup couldn't take it anymore and set out for the lava pools and hot springs at the bottom of the mountain to have a much needed bath. He was exceptionally grateful that someone kept the bathing areas fully stocked at all times.

He grabbed whatever was closest to him and a pile of dry towels for later, then moved to a lovely pool close to the flowing lava river. The water was deliciously hot and he couldn't wait to jump in and was away the dirt and stress from the last week.

Each item of clothing came off, covered in dirt and sweat from all his time working without rest, and he instantly felt better just getting rid of it. Once he was submerged in the hot water he sighed in pure bliss. This was exactly what he needed. Instead of scrubbing himself clean he simply lay there in the hot water, letting the warmth work free the knots in his muscles.

At one point during his soak, he completely submerged himself under the water, content to just listening to the stifling silence of the water. In doing so, he didn't notice someone else entering the bathing pools. When he pulled his head out of the water with a gasp, he came face to face with Shadow.

Said prince actually looked frightened, hackles raised and eyes wide at noticing he wasn't alone. Hiccup giggled at the sight, it wasn't every day that you frightened a Black Moon prince and made him puff up like a startled cat.

"Err… Sorry. I didn't notice anyone else was in here." He stammered nervously, one hand holding up his pants. He was already over half way through undressing before he noticed Hiccup. Effectively being caught with his trousers down. Hiccup smiled with a light blush dusting his face.

"There's plenty of room in here." He said before reaching over for his soap and sponge. Not long after, Shadow completely undressed and sank into the steaming hot water with a sigh of his own, lounging against the stone edges of the pool.

"All this work has exhausted me. Who knew running a kingdom was so hard. I don't see why all the nobles in my father's court wanted the job if it's this tiring." He murmured.

"I think I know what you mean. Stoick used to come home at the end of the day with a splitting headache. Even with his council members to delegate things to, he ended up doing most things himself."

"At least there is great reward to be gained from all this. The younger generation of dragons have a safe place to nest. My council has a kingdom to run without my fathers influence. And my family has a home."

Hiccup put the soap and sponge down and rinsed all the bubbles off himself. Passing the soap over to Shadow he said, "You've mentioned your father many times before. I wonder, what exactly did he do as a leader? If you've desired your own kingdom and a council to rule it away from your father, then the man must have done some bad things before."

Shadow made a sound that was half way between a sigh and a snarl. "He is no man, he's a monster. He craved power for powers sake. He wanted it just because he had the strength to take it. But he never used his power to accomplish anything good. He gave the noble Black Moon families more and more power while those of lower class were used to fill his armies, so he could continue to gain more power.

"What I'm trying to do is be better than he was. I want power so that I can use it for the greater good. Really none of this is for my benefit alone. Its all for others. I never wanted to live in a mountain fortress, but I turned Dead Mountain into one because there were Black Moons who needed it, who needed a secure place to live. I never really wanted to be a ruler, but I am because there are those who would try and create a replica of what my father has created." He put the sponge and soap on the edge of the pool and grabbed one of the lotion bottles left there by Hiccup. He then gestured for Hiccup to move over so he could sit behind him. When the drake was comfortably in place with Hiccup in his lap, he began lathering the lotion into his hair.

"Forgive me, I've been spending so much of my time caring for others that I've neglected you." He murmured while massaging the boys scalp.

"Mmm. If you don't want power for powers sake, then why are you planning a meeting with all the chiefs of the archipelago? A potential alliance means power, and unless you've got a very clever plan up your sleeve, it kind of looks like you are gathering power for powers sake."

Shadow directed him to sit back so he could wash out the suds, then began using a different lotion to make his hair all silky.

"I am my fathers son, whether I like it or not. Although I do intend to use this opportunity to create more good. It's not a secret ploy to become king or emperor or something like that. While having a position like that would be useful in keeping my people safe, there are other things that I can do to get a better outcome."

He then started to massage Hiccup's shoulders, getting all the tension out of the muscles. Hiccup sighed in bliss.

"Black Moons are seen as very solitary creatures, but we are actually quite social. We are alone because its never safe to have more than one in a particular location at any time. But we crave companionship, be it with our own kind, or creatures whos forms we share. I want my people to be able to interact with the world without having to hide, and without threat to their lives. A treaty with the other clans can help make this reality… oh, what I would give to see Black Moon hatchlings playing with the village children. Im doing all of this because I want to help families grow." He confessed.

Hiccup tipped his head back again to wash out the lotion, floating there while Shadow's hands held his head above the water, eyes locked together. Hiccup looked at him with a deep longing. Shadow looked into the beautiful forest green of his eyes, and thought that he could drown in those eyes. They spoke of so many emotions that it made the drake stagger with just how deeply he was struck.

"Being a part of your family makes me feel like I belong somewhere. I just cant help but feel that in some scenario I could have had the same with my old family. I know that I am of your blood, and that I am a part of your family, but sometimes I wish I had someone of my own blood I could call family."

Shadow leant forward and brushed his lips against his in a sweet kiss before pulling him up and out of the water. Both of them stood there together, completely naked but totally at ease, staring into each others eyes. Shadow used one of the towels to gently dry him off, using all the tender care he could muster, because Hiccup deserved it. When they were both wrapped in towels and ready to head up to their bedroom for some clean clothes, they hugged each other tightly.

"All of this is for you, my sweet. This home, this family. Its all for you… you were the one who inspired me to make a difference, and to help make that family that we needed to pull ourselves together again."


	23. Chapter 23

thankyou loyal readers for being with me all the way. and now, I am very proud to present... drumroll please... the peace talks of the archipelago! in this chapter, there will be tension, reunions, introductions, smugness and cannibal jokes. all for your enjoyment.

Now before we go any further, I wana say a BIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGG thanks to Razor95 for his outstanding help and suggestions for these scenes. Without his input these scenes would have been entirely different. so hats off to you my friend! you are a major influence on these scenes and interactions between the characters so a big thanks. So while the original story of HTTYD belongs to Dreamworks, the original characters and concepts belong to me, but these scenes in particular are the product of Razor95. thanks buddy :) I cant wait to write the rest.

Keep those reviews up people, and PM me any ideas or something i might be able to add in.

Love yas!

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Dozens of ships arrived in the harbour of Dragons edge on the day of the half moon. Each ship was adorned with tribal crests and colours symbolising each individual clan at attendance to the meeting. Dragons Edge was swathed in colour and crests, welcoming the clans by flying their flags. But no matter how pretty the place looked, none of the chiefs forgot that this was a dragons nest. And these dragons were dangerous, even if they sheathed their claws and extended their hands in peace for the time being.

Drakes and dragonesses flew overhead carrying all sorts of things in their talons, from fishnets to weaponry, decorations to live animals. Every time one of the beasts came close to the arriving ships of the humans on board, there were cries of fear and the brandishing of weapons, yet no one struck out. No one would forget that dragons are dangerous creatures.

The Bog Burglar chieftess and Heir arrived first, along with ten of their best female warriors and diplomats. The Berserkers disembarked after them, with Dagur standing at the helm fingering his axe, his warriors tense for a fight behind him. Then came the Meatheads and their chief Megadon, cautious at their new surroundings. Alvin the Treacherous and Savage arrived at the docks afther them, along with a small portion of the Outcast Tribe, angry at having been demanded to attend this meeting in general.

And finally, Stoick the Vast. Two potential Heirs trailing behind him along with his council. They did not want to be in the presence of the Black Moon dragons, nor be at their mercy, but for the good of their people, they came. They would see what dastardly plan these beasts had concocted, then learn their weaknesses.

A young man walked out of the closest building and began to walk towards the arriving chiefs. He walked with a straight back and his head high, adorned in a smart looking jacket, probably a mark of an officer. The young man stood tall, his hair a dark ash blond and eyes a deep storm cloud grey. He was unarmed, but the humans standing on the docks doubted he was completely harmless.

When he stood before the assembled chiefs, he brought his right fist up and covered his heart before bowing respectfully. Then he spoke. "Chieftains and Heirs of the Archipelago, I thank you on behalf of the Seven Princes for attending this meeting. I am General Abraxos of the Black Moon Court. As the Princes finalise preparations for tonight I will be your host and take you to your rooms. Follow me please."

Then he turned to lead them towards the mountain fortress. The Chief's had no choice but to follow. Along the way to their accommodations, Abraxos gave them a tour of the buildings and areas, and gave them a quick rundown of the schedule.

"You and your companions will be free to explore the island until sunset, then the first feast will be served in the function hall as a means to socialise over dinner. Afterwards will be the first official meeting with the Princes and the opening of negotiations in the council room. That begins at Moonrise."

The five Chieftains walked with purpose behind Abraxos, while the Heirs to each tribe wandered behind them, looking up at the dragons above them in fascination and fear. Fishlegs was having a field day, while Snotlout was sticking close to Camicazi.

They walked past the armoury and the training fields, where they could see pairs of black scaled dragons mock fighting each other, as well as black uniform clad humans doing weapons drills. The chiefs and heirs stood to watch for a few moments. Abraxos chose this moment to speak again.

"I must warn you about potential dangers while you stay here. Black Moon dragons are apex predators, and highly intelligent, so attempting to take one on or insult one may result in serious injury or death. If you are confronted by one it is best to act respectfully and make no move that could aggravate them, simply let them go about their business and do not touch without permission. If one of our drakes of dragonesses acts hostile to you and you are in danger, do not look in their eyes, bow low at the waist and show vulnerability. I don't care about whatever pride or rank you have, swallow it if you are in danger of attack or you may get seriously hurt.

"That being said, similar instructions for the humans of our court. Do not do anything to purposely aggravate them, do not disrespect them, do not touch without permission, and if in danger of attack, bow and do not make eye contact."

With that, Abraxos moved on and lead the guests to one of the larger buildings at the base of the mountain. The walls were made of a combination of stone and timber, the floor being hard packed dirt and cobblestone. Tables, chairs and lounges were strewn around the room while some uniform clad humans weaved in and out. Abraxos motioned to the stone staircase cut into the mountain wall, saying that their accommodations were right upstairs and that they were free to explore as they wished. The guests to Dragons Edge ambled around the room and settled down to think about everything that they had seen already, and spoke to their council members about plans.

Camicazi mentioned to her mother that she was going to have a look around the place while she could and left, only to run into Hiccup on his way to the armoury.

"Hiccup? Oh my Gods its great to see you again!" she squealed. The two of them collided in a hug. "So is this were you ran off to with that handsome boyfriend of yours?"

Hiccup laughed. "Nice to see you again Cami. No, we found a place further up North. This place is just a trading post and border marker."

Camicazi let him go and looked around, nodding at everything she saw. "Its actually quite impressive. So, details, now. What have you been up to? Whats this meeting really for? Wheres that handsome boyfriend of yours? Have you two gone all the way yet? Does he have brothers? Are they single? What kind of dragons are these? Come on Hiccup, I need details!"

"Calm down Cami, one question at a time." He laughed. "Ive been quite busy helping with all the planning here and all sorts of stuff at Dead Mountain. The Black Moon Court and the Princes are trying to have alliances between the clans on our terms since it hasnt worked in the past. And Shadow should be up in his room preening and fussing over tonight."

"Speaking of tonight, your father looks incredibly pissed about being here in general. Hes been more hostile to the people here than even the Berserkers, and thats saying something. So whats the connection? Why does he hate everyone so much already?" she asked.

Hiccup laughed and nervously scratched the back of his head, saying it was a long story, which he ultimately told because Cami wouldnt stop pestering him. She was quite shocked to learn that the humans and dragons were one in the same and could change forms.

The two of them wandered around the town by the bay, with Hiccup pointing things out as they went. Cami kept ogling the human males that they went past with obvious desire. When Hiccup asked what she was doing she said "I stand by my original statement… I want one. If you managed to snag one of these, then I want to as well. Who knows, it might be good for an alliance. Haha."

Snotlout and Fishlegs joined them some time later near the training fields. Fishlegs was making notes and drawings in a large notebook he had with him, cataloguing everything about the Black Moon dragons while he had the chance. Snotlout was trying to act tough but ultimately failing. When Hiccup and Cami caught up with them, they spoke about everything that had been happening at Berk since the last meeting between the clans. Stoick was trying to find a replacement for Hiccup as future chief, but since Astrid was gone as well that just left his incompetent cousin and Fishlegs. Since it was a requirement to bring an heir, Stoick decided to bring both to test them.

Afternoon sun turned into dusk, and so it was time for last minute preparations. The teens went back to the main hall then off to their own rooms to dress. Smartly dressed servants collected the guests from their rooms some time later and brought them to the main hall for that nights feast.

Tables laden with succulent roasts, fried fish, fresh vegetables and barrels of wine were strewn around the room. White clad waitrons wandered around the room with glasses and extra plates of food, serving some of those who were already seated. At every table sat black and gold clad members of the Black Moon court, eagerly waiting for the guests to sit. The human clans were split up and escorted to tables, each receiving a glass of wine or mead.

The chief's and their respective heirs were seated at the largest table, with a chair spaced between each of them. Murmurs were whispered around the table as they waited for the final members to arrive.

Abraxos made another appearance, dressed in a fine suit with bronze trim. He let out a soft roar that silenced the room. Then he cleared his throat. "Thank you council members and guests for attending this meeting. Chieftains and Heirs of the Archipelago, the Black Moon High Court welcomes you. Before we fully begin our feast, may I introduce your hosts. The Void-Wing royal family, the Black Moon Princes."

The black clad humans applauded their entry, forcing the other clans to applaud as well in respect. Then out of the shadows came the Black Moon royals.

"The youngest of seven, prince Storm. Sixth in line, prince Sky. Fifth born, prince Ghost. Twin princes Dusk and Dawn. The lady Midnight, second in line."

One by one the princes strutted out of the darkness and into the light, all wearing their finest clothes. Matt black fabrics with dark leather edging, coupled with plated shoulder and hip guards shaped like patches of scales. Ceremonial ebony weapons strapped to their hips, everything either a dull soul crushing black, or starlight shiny. Hair immaculately done and tailored for each individual, clips and ribbons holding the hair out of their faces.

"And finally, the eldest of seven, Lord of Dead Mountain and Heir to the Black Moon Throne. Prince Shadow Void-Wing."

Jaws dropped at the sight of the eldest prince. Strikingly handsome, deathly calm, with a fire burning in his silver eyes. Wearing immaculate long black pants, and a white collared shirt underneath a black jacket accentuated with patches of scales – scales from his own body. He wore his family crest around his neck, the kite shaped crest covered in obsidian glass with twin crescent moons. The only crown he wore was his own ivory horns, decorated with silver cuffs and obsidian glass shards. He truly looked like royalty.

"Introducing the special members of the Black Moon court, and honorary knights of the realm, Goraan Sos, Hiccup the third, and Spaan-Vahdin, Lady Astrid." The two teens wandered out and stood next to the princes, Hiccup next to Shadow and Astrid next to Midnight. Hiccup wore an outfit similar to the eldest prince, edged in a light gold colour. And Astrid wore a dress matching Midnight, dark cotton fabrics layered to keep her warm and covered from head to toe, edged in silver thread.

The Snake guardians appeared behind their princes as their protectors, and so the Black Moon High Court was assembled. The feast began.

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For the most part, the chiefs ignored the princes, and everyone else. The heirs of each clan interacted with each other to catch up on times spent apart. But mostly, the tables were quiet besides the clanking of cutlery and sipping of glasses. That was until Stoick decided to open his mouth for something other than shovelling food in.

"So, _your majesty,_ what exactly do you have planned for all of us? What devilish plan are you concocting?" he hissed.

Shadow didn't raise to the bait, simply sipping from his wine glass before calmly answering. " I plan to create an alliance between the clans of the archipelago and the Black Moon court. I believe that uniting our people together will be most beneficial for us all, since each of us can contribute something of benefit to the rest of us. I plan to offer my people and resources in exchange for lasting peace."

"Under one banner I suppose. Would that banner be yours?" asked Dagur, tearing a chunk of meat off a bone with his teeth.

"If you are wondering whether I have the desire to rule over the entire archipelago, the answer is no. I only wish to govern over my own people. I want my people to prosper, and they will do so better if united with all of you. I do not wish to rule, but I will do so because the alternative will benefit no one."

"And what alternative would that be? Are you afraid that one of us will take that position as king or overlord?"

"What I fear most is a tyrant taking my place. There are those in my fathers court who would jump at the opportunity to take over that which I have spent so much effort building. Under their fists, many would suffer, and many more would die. Not to brag, but I am your best opportunity for peace and prosperity." He smirked and took a sip of his wine.

There was silence around the table as everyone continued eating, with only a few mutterings here and there, mostly just requests to pass plates of food. The next chief to speak up was Big Boobied Bertha, who asked what kind of benefits the rest of the archipelago expect if they allied with the Black Moons.

"I have armies at my disposal that are unlike any other. I can have squadrons stationed around the archipelago to defend from invaders or large scale threats. Those of you who join us will have soldiers closer to your villages to protect them." He took a bite of his fish before continuing. "Also, because of our long lifespans, we have collected information around the world and have excess knowledge of the growing technology. We may share this information with you to better your lives and renew your technology to be more efficient."

"And what kinds of technology would that be?" growled Alvin from the opposite end of the table.

"Well, how many of your homes have indoor plumbing?" asked the drake. He was met with silence and confused stares. "My point exactly. With our knowledge of the rest of the world and its technology, we can improve the quality of life in your villages. And with Hiccup's added intelligence and ingenuity, we can further improve on those."

Hiccup smiled and blushed in his seat, hiding it by taking a sip of his wine. Talk turned to silence as everyone continued their dinner of roast meat, fish and exotic wine. All except Stoick of course.

"Chief Stoick, is the wine not to your liking?" asked the eldest female of the Black Moon family. Stoick lifted his gaze and locked it with Midnight's as he spat the words 'it tastes funny' across the table.

"You have no need to worry about poison, Stoick. I wouldn't do that to the wine… In case you were wondering what that taste was, its boars blood. Many of my people quite like its taste since we cant exactly go around eating people on a regular basis. Cannibalism being frowned upon in most cultures… So we make due. There's mead available if you would prefer that."

A few forks stilled at the cannibalism comment, but for the most part it was ignored. The feasting and casual conversations continued until everyone ate their fill. The white clad waitrons came to remove the plates and leftover food while the guests departed. The escorts and warriors of each tribe retired to their rooms for the night, but instead of following, the princes led the chiefs and heirs to the top most room on the mountain. The first round of negotiations was about to begin…


	24. Chapter 24

Hey everyone, heres the next chapter for ya. I hope you enjoy it. Just to let you know, Uni for me has started again so it might take longer for me to write the next chapters. Ill be having to focus on my classes. but dont worry, the wait will be worth it. Thanks again Razor95 for your help with these scenes. I cant wait to get to some of the juicy ones. :)

Enjoy everyone!

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The room was open to the elements, showing off the moon and stars in all their glory. From the top of the mountain where the room was, they could see the bay far below, ships docked in ports and lanterns being lit along the streets. A cold breeze wafted through the open doors, yet the heat did not chill the room. The fireplace off to the side ensured that the room stayed nice and warm.

A gargantuan stone table was spread across the room, smooth on top but rough around the edges, decorated in glowing candles. The chiefs and heirs took their seats at the table, spaced apart evenly by the seven princes, with Shadow seated at the head. There was no defined line between human and dragon at the table, the purposeful placement of everyone saw to that. At that table they were all equals, yet the human chiefs couldn't help but feel trapped on all sides by the predators that were Black Moon Dragons.

The negotiations and peace talks hadn't even started yet, but the mind games had already begun. The Black Moon Prince saw to it that he had the advantage before any words were uttered, and that he was the most powerful in the room.

But he was not done with the games just yet – oh no – he wanted to undermine Stoick before they even started these peace talks… by leaving out a seat for Hiccup, and forcing the boy to sit in the princes lap.

The Hooligan chief fumed in his chair as Hiccup snuggled into the princes lap, while the other chiefs just blushed slightly or looked disgusted at their display of affection.

"Let the negotiations begin…"

Five minutes later, everyone thought that this would take much longer than they thought. It had become a full on shouting match between the humans and dragons, and no one was gaining ground. Shadow tried to keep order without raising his voice and giving them reason to hate him more, but the chiefs wouldn't listen. Eventually he sighed and gave his youngest brother a small signal.

Storm nodded and then let out a bellowing roar that shook the foundations of the building, a sound much louder and ferocious than what should be possible for someone his size. The room quietened instantly.

"Some adults you all are… you can barely talk to each other without yelling and screaming like babies. And they call me a child, I'm the youngest here so I should be the one being immature, but no. this is just sad. Grow up already." He sighed.

"How dare you call us children!" snapped Dagur.

"Well you lot are acting like it, and someone needs to be the responsible adult here." Replied the youngest prince.

"Responsible adult my arse, how old are you? Twelve?" spat Alvin from across the table.

"Im older than your great great great grandma. Now, show some respect to your elders." He spat back.

"As entertaining as it is to watch my brother argue about his age, why don't we return to the matter at hand and use our indoor voices." Said Midnight with a smirk. The chiefs didn't look happy at what had transpired and being called out as children. But none-the-less, they calmed down but not without quite a few grumbles.

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, because of our sheer numbers we require a lot of food, but our waters don't hold a lot of fish whereas yours do. We request that the Black Moons be given access to the deep waters within your territories to fish. In exchange, we will give you and your clans twenty percent of everything we catch."

"Twenty percent! Of our own fish? You've got to be joking!" cried Bertha in outrage. "If the fish are in our waters then they belong to us. And we've all got lots of hungry mouths of our own to feed, so why should we have to share our waters with you if we don't even get a fair share?"

"Keep in mind Chief Bertha that this is the first round of negotiations, numbers can be changed and agreed on at later dates. This is merely laying down the foundations of an alliance. That being said, we can definitely change the percentage to thirty-five if that is more acceptable." Shadow replied, ever the great leader.

"Why on earth cant you just stick within your own borders and leave us and our fish alone?" bellowed Dagur, slamming his fists on the table. "Surely you have other things to eat besides our fish."

"At the moment we haven't got a lot of options. We have quite a few captive boars that we are breeding to create herds, but those wont be ready for quite a few months. And fish don't like the cold waters very much so we don't get lots of them. Asking for hunting pacts between the clans is a reasonable request, and its far better than anything else we could come up with…" he said.

"And what would these alternative food sources be if you cant reach an agreement with us?" asked Megadon the Meathead.

Shadow looked away from the table of assembled chiefs and started picking at his long nails before he answered in a bored tone. "Well, we could always turn to cannibalism. Some Black Moons prefer the taste of human but it isn't a delicacy we can indulge in often. But if we cannot reach a verdict then, well, we are opportune hunters after all."

The Black Moon princes bared their teeth in creepy smiles that struck fear into the hearts of the chiefs, and caused at least two heirs to turn white. Most species of animals bared their teeth as a display of aggression or leadership, most knew, as a reminder that those clenched jaws could tear open their throats as easily as a knife. These weren't ordinary animals, these were apex predators, and their smile meant possible death.

Shadow chuckled deeply in his throat and turned to Hiccup who was perched in his lap. The drake started touching his leg with one hand and his arm with the other, drawing him in closer to his warm body. "Although personally," he whispered against Hiccup's ear, "I've found that you don't have to eat a human to enjoy its taste." Then he licked up the side of his throat and moaned in pleasure. More than one person turned green.

Hiccup shivered in delight and leaned back into the drake, turning his head to give him a peck on the cheek. "Play nice. You're scaring them." Shadow smirked and kept trying to attack the boys neck with his lips, driving Stoick up the wall with anger. Hiccup gently pushed him away and turned back to the assembled guests, some of whom looked sick at the display of affection. Cami however was blushing furiously and making hearts with her hands towards them.

"You will have to forgive his theatrics. Hes a bit of a drama queen."

"Not to mention a fag!" spat Dagur. All the princes turned to him and growled with hatred, exposing their throat ripping teeth again. Insults started flying before Shadow silenced it with a roar.

"Reign in your tongue Deranged, or you might lose it. While this table may be open to many topics, my sexuality isn't one of them. We are here to discuss alliances and politics, not who I share my bed with."

Stoick opened his mouth to speak, but Sky beat him to it before he could spit out any venom filled words towards the eldest prince. Hissing a 'don't even think about it' almost too soft to hear.

Things were tense after that, with most of the anger being directed to the young chief of the Berserkers and Stoick the Vast. The Bog Burglars, Meatheads, and surprisingly the Outcasts were getting along reasonably well with the Black Moons and were actively working to create trade and alliances, although nothing was set in stone yet. When the wine glasses were set out and the wine poured, Shadow couldn't help by have Hiccup lean over and fetch it for him, getting a good look at that firm ass as he did. Quite a few members at the table saw the hungry look in his eyes as his forked tongue glided across his lips. Hiccup realised too late what Shadow did, and blushed like mad as he was ogled in front of everyone. The Duplicate twins, Dusk and Dawn gave him a few lewd signals, alerting him of Shadow's intentions before he sat back down. Right on top of the males crotch.

The rest of the night had Hiccup squirming while Shadow revelled in the attention. It was a very tense first round of negotiations. Hiccup just hoped that good would come from all this.


End file.
